


Breach

by ten9



Series: Heaven Haven [9]
Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e11 Breach, Episode: s03e10 Hollow Men, Episode: s03e11 Pax Romana, F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 13:23:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/622636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ten9/pseuds/ten9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Picks up where part 8 ended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breach

**Author's Note:**

> (These characters are owned by their respective studios and producers; I make no profit from these stories, they are provided for personal use only and remain the copyright of the author. They may not be reproduced either in whole, in part or posted elsewhere without permission.)

**Heaven Haven**

**Part 9**

**Breach**

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know,” Will scowled, shaking his head, _“coming in from the cold?”_ He and Kate watched idly while Helen picked the lock on the heavy metal door. “I just feel like you’re using some sort of pulp, spy-novel-from-the-fifties, when you use those expressions…”

 

“Well,” Helen pushed open the door, turning to him, “what’s wrong with that?”

 

“Nothing…” he shrugged as he and Kate followed her inside, “I just think maybe we could use expressions that come from _this century_ … for those of us who were _born more recently.”_

 

“Yeah,” Kate conceded, “but seeking sanctuary _is_ kind of _on the nose.”_

 

“Okay,” he shrugged halfheartedly, “but how about if we use mafia terms, right? Cuz’ they’re timeless, like uh, _he’s gotta’ get off the street,_ or um...” He drew his lips down at the corners, DeNiro-like, _“no no no… no no, Frankie’s goin’ south…”_

 

Rolling her eyes, Helen stopped at an electrical panel, “Yes, _Frankie_ will feel very safe with us.” She scanned the switches with her flashlight, “Here it is.” Grabbing a large flip-switch, she forced the handle upwards, snapping it into place. Dirty neon tubes overhead flickered on, providing only dim, sickly illumination and Helen frowned, “Hardly worth it, really.”

 

“Aright,” Will announced, “I’m guessing this guy’s some sort of lizard-type person, doesn’t hide well in public.”

 

Kate’s nose wrinkled, “Hence the stinky, out-of-the-way meeting spot.”

 

“His message didn’t specify his race,” Helen squinted down the dark hallway, “just that he needed out help.”

 

Kate turned to Will, “Do you always think amphibian?”

 

“When I don’t know what the creature is?” Will considered the question briefly, “Yeah, I always go there.”

 

“Oh,” Kate snorted, “me too.”

 

Helen shook her head in mild exasperation, “You two take the upper floors, stay in radio contact.”

 

Will sighed as they followed her, “Alright…”

 

“And could you be a bit more…”

 

Together, Kate and Will answered her, “Welcoming?”

 

“Yes,” Helen nodded, “especially if he does end up being a lizard.”

 

They split up, maintaining private communication via radios with earphones. Several minutes passed as they wandered the dark corridors.

 

“It doesn’t look there’s been anyone in here in years…” Helen sighed, frowning down at her scanner. The monitor blinked in and out with static interference and she shook it slightly, “Is your scanner acting up?”

 

“Yeah,” she could hear Kate, “I’m getting weird power spikes? But then it corrects.”

 

As the minutes passed, Will began to feel increasingly anxious, “I got a _bad_ feeling about this place...” he muttered.

 

“Thank you for saying it.” Kate mumbled in response.

 

They finished sweeping the second, third and fourth floors before Will finally called Magnus, “If our friend _was_ here I think he got cold feet.” He shrugged, adding drolly, “Can’t imagine _why…_ Plus,” he added, _“I hate this place.”_

 

“Amen…” Kate agreed, keeping her voice low.

 

“Alright,” Helen conceded, “meet me back at the main entrance.”

 

Will sighed in relief and sensing a whooshing sound behind him, suddenly spun around, _What the hell was that?_ he thought seeing nothing, “With pleasure.” he muttered, intensely disliking the flesh that crawled on the back of his neck.

 

When the trio met up again Will repacked their scanners in the cases, “I’ll have Henry run a diagnostic on the scanner malfunctions, “Who knows? Maybe seriously-creepy is a parameter.”

 

“The guy got afraid and didn’t show,” Kate shrugged, “Where’s the mystery?”

 

Will stood and both he and Magnus cocked their heads to one side, patronizingly,

 

 _“Katie…”_ Will addressed her like a child.

 

“There’s _always_ a mystery…” Helen smiled sweetly.

 

“Uh huh…” Kate grinned tolerantly, _“that’s adorable...”_ she muttered sardonically. “I say if Mister Shy Guy really wants to our help he’ll reach out. Until then… as much as I _love it_ here…”

 

Helen followed them and paused, turning to look behind her, “Unless he was trying to warn us…” Her brows knit bemusedly.

 

“Of what?’ Will asked.

 

“I don’t know,” she shook her head, “there’s something odd going on here… I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

 

 _“Yeah,”_ Kate laughed, “this whole building has weird juju, like people died here…”

 

Helen had resumed following them and she paused to turn and look down the dark hallway once again. Will and Kate paused by the door,

 

“You wanna’ stay?” Will asked, “We can have Henry and the big guy scan the place from top to bottom.”

 

“No,” Helen frowned, shaking her head, “we’ll head back, I’ve left Tesla alone in the library too long and I’m afraid what Janet will do to him if he annoys her.” Will and Kate snorted in agreement. “We’ll come back later with a full compliment.”

 

 “Who wants to eat?” Kate asked as she pushed her way through the heavy metal door, “I’m starved.”

 

 _“Ooo, yeah,”_ Will licked his lips, “ _food,_ now that’s a great idea.”

 

As they carried the equipment cases to the car, Kate elbowed him, “Hey, I heard a joke; knock knock…”

 

Will gave her a look, “Are you serious?”

 

 _“Come on,”_ Kate pleaded good-naturedly, “just go with it, _William…”_

 

 _“Fine,”_ he held out his arms in surrender, _“who’s there?”_

 

A loud explosion sounded behind them, making them jump and duck simultaneously. When they turned back to the door they had just exited they saw glass shards blow from the window as the heavy metal door banged open and Magnus and a small man came hurtling through it, tumbling on the hard cement.

 

 _“MY GOD!”_ Kate cried as they rushed to her, _“What happened?”_

 

Will knelt at Magnus’ side, noting her bruised and bloody face, “Who’s that guy?” he asked, utterly confused.

 

Looking dazed and trying to catch her breath, she gasped, “Oh… we’re in trouble…”

 

~

 

Helen and Will pushed the gurney with their patient to the elevator just as the doors were opening; Tesla and Henry were inside,

 

“Helen!” Nikola fairly shouted, shocked by her appearance.

 

“Doc!” Henry helped pull the gurney inside, “Oh my god!”

 

Will locked eyes with him, “Security cell for this guy as soon as he’s out of the O.R.!”

 

Nikola noted Helen’s face, “You’re injured...”

 

She ignored him and addressed Henry, “We need to send a full hazmat team and cordon off the whole area from the public.”

 

“Kate’s waiting for me downstairs,” Henry stared down at the slight man on the gurney, “what the hell happened?”

 

Will parked his hands on his hips, “Nothing we understand yet.”

 

While he spoke, Nikola pulled the oxygen mask from the patient’s face and exclaimed softly, his voice incredulous, _“Son of a bitch…”_

 

“Who we got?” Henry asked.

 

“Well,” he said, turning to Helen, “I guess cockroaches _can_ come back from the dead.”

 

Henry looked confused, “Who the hell is this guy?”

 

“Not one person but two,” Nikola sighed, his voice dripping with disdain, “prepare to meet Jekyll _and Hyde_.”

 

~

 

Henry pushed the gurney to the red line at the operating room’s entrance denoting the sterile area beyond and let a surgically gowned Bigfoot take custody of their patient from there. Will changed into scrubs and cautiously approached Helen who was scrubbing for surgery,

 

“So…” he looked past her and through the enormous glass window into the OR, “it looks like Janet and the big guy have already got this one…”

 

“I’m scrubbing in…” she informed him tersely.

 

 _Great,_ Will shook his head, _back to the old Magnus,_ “He just _kicked the snot_ out of you…”

 

She turned to him, her freshly scrubbed hands held up, palm in, “I can handle it, go help Kate and Henry…”

 

“Your pupils are dilated,” he interrupted gently, “you could have a concussion…” he looked down at her shaking hands, “Look at the tremor in your hands…”

 

 _“I’m a hundred and fifty-nine years old!”_ she fairly shouted, “You have known me for three!”

 

Will regarded her, “Fair enough…” he said quietly and looked down at her hands again. A thin trickle of blood was sliding down the inside of her wrist, “Magnus…” he murmured and gently took her hand, “there’s no way you can perform surgery with this…Jesus…” he muttered, regarding the ugly gash in her left palm. _Please, Magnus,_ he pleaded silently, _don’t fight me on this…_

 

Helen’s eyes closed in anguished frustration. She wanted to fall to her knees and shout and cry when Janet’s voice stopped any further argument,

 

“Will,” they heard her quiet, authoritative voice over the intercom, “please give Helen an exam and address her injuries…”

 

Will arched his eyebrows meaningfully at Magnus, “On it…” he nodded at Janet’s stern features in the glass. “Come on, Magnus...” he pleaded softly, “Let Janet and the big guy handle this one…”

 

Helen’s chin trembled and clearing her throat determinedly, finally nodded, “Alright.”

 

Will led her into the first exam and treatment room and readied an instrument tray while Helen changed out of her scrubs and into a hospital gown, “So,” he sighed, sitting on a nearby stool, “You wanna’ at least tell me who he is?”

 

She sat heavily in the chair behind a privacy screen; “I… told you how The Five began at Oxford…” she began as she painfully shrugged out of her scrubs, “working to understand secrets kept from mainstream science.” She eased a hospital gown over her bruised form and emerged from behind the privacy curtain, “It was early in our Source Blood experiments…” She sat on the exam table, releasing a shaky breath, “There was a student, Adam… Adam Worth… he was intelligent, but he had a reputation and…”

 

“He wanted in your group.” Will finished as he gently cleaned the gash in her hand. He had prepared a syringe of Lidocane and Helen winced as he injected the anesthetic on either side of the wound. “Sorry…” He placed her hand on a surgical towel on the tray and began closing the gash with evenly spaced sutures, “I don’t get it, Magnus…” he shook his head, “one minute… no,” he corrected, “ _not even a minute_ ; _one second_ you were behind us and the next you and that guy were being blown through the door…” A knock interrupted him,

 

“May I come in?” Tesla asked as he entered.

 

“Hey!” Will turned to him, jerking his thumb back towards the door, “ _Private_ exam going on…”

 

“Oh relax, William,” He waved a dismissive hand, “I’ll sit back there…” he indicated the privacy curtain and sat on the chair behind it.

 

Will sighed and turned back to regard Helen’s battered features, “I know you got him good enough to warrant major surgery but,” he sighed, “he really beat the shit outta’ you first…”

 

 _“Homicidal little bastard…”_ they heard Tesla behind the privacy screen, “He should have come after _me_ first.”

 

“So,” Will packed her palm with gauze pads and wrapped her hand before retrieving a penlight from the instrument tray, “is this how all Oxford’s classmates treat each other?”

 

Nikola thoughtfully regarded the wall, “How much did you tell him?” he directed the question to Helen but it was Will who answered,

 

“Just that The Five was almost The Six.” he remarked drolly as he flashed the light across Helen’s dilated pupils, making her blink painfully, “Sorry.”

 

“Yes,” Nikola crossed his long legs behind the screen, “well, in retrospect... there _were_ signs… subtle markers...” He sighed again, feeling nostalgic, “but we were young, and believe it or not…” his voice faded, “even a tad… arrogant.”

 

Will saw Magnus close her eyes, _Shame?_ he wondered and began gently running his gloved fingers through her hair, feeling her scalp for injuries. Helen’s eyes slammed shut and she hissed in pain. “Sorry…” He gingerly parted dark hair around the raised lump, “I don’t see any lacerations here.” He continued his search and found several more painful lumps on Helens’ scalp and gently palpated the purpling bruises on her face. “I don’t feel any fractures…” he gently examined her nose, “and this isn’t broken…” Helen only nodded and he retrieved more gauze pads so he could clean the blood from the small cuts on her face. “But you are _definitely_ concussed.”

 

“I’ll grant you,” Nikola sighed, continuing, “Adam _was_ brilliant… if twisted, _even then…”_

 

“He desperately wanted to be a part of our group…” Helen finally spoke up, “but I agreed we were better without him…” She swallowed carefully, “When I discovered him creating a formula for that deadly toxin…” Her chin trembled uncontrollably and she furiously blinked back the tears that stubbornly formed in her eyes, “I should have done more…”

 

“Oh for god sakes, Helen,” Nikola scolded from behind the screen, “there was nothing we could have done back then to stop him…” He sniffed and sighed heavily, “I doubt there’s anything we could do for him _now_ …” He leaned back against the wall, “It would be so much better if he simply didn’t survive his surgery in there…”

 

“Lie back,” Will nodded to her, “and let’s check you for internal injuries…”

 

Helen lay back stiffly on the exam table and Nikola continued, “In the meantime,” he re-crossed his long legs, “in case anyone’s interested, I did manage to decode my way into the hologram...” he stared drolly at the privacy screen, “at great _personal risk_ …”

 

Both Will and Magnus rolled their eyes and it was Helen who asked, “And?”

 

“When you get to the final level it reveals a three-dimensional image of planet earth and outlines the three calderas that lead to its core…”

 

Will pulled open the back of the gown Magnus wore and made a soft hissing sound through his teeth when he revealed a large darkly bruised area on Helen’s back, “So what is it?”

 

“An atlas...” Nikola answered, standing to stretch, “to Hollow Earth.”

 

“You mean the…” Will’s hands paused over Helen’s dark, spongy-looking ribcage, “you mean _mythical_ Hollow Earth...”

 

Nikola’s brows arched high on his forehead, “It’s not mythical anymore.”

 

~

 

Helen changed back into her scrubs and ignoring Will’s suggestion to rest, shuffled gingerly back to the surgical suites, feeling increasingly sore as the already long afternoon wore on. Looking through the large glass window into the OR, she could see Bigfoot pull the airway from Adam’s mouth and slap his face, none too gently, to make sure he had emerged from anesthesia, making a small wry smile tug at the corners of her lips.

 

Janet stripped off her gloves as she exited the suite, tossing them into the trash before yanking down her surgical mask, “How are you?” she asked, concern threading her voice. “And _don’t_ say you’re fine…”

 

Helen smiled and tilted her chin for a kiss, “I’ll be alright…”

 

Janet sighed heavily and gently held her face while she closely regarded her battered features, _“Stubborn…”_ she muttered, dreading what the rest of Helen’s body looked like if the condition of her face was any indicator. She sighed and examined the thick gauze dressing Will had placed on her hand, “What’s this?”

 

“I cut my hand… Will sutured it.”

 

“Did he give you antibiotics for this?”

 

“Oh yes,” Helen assured her, “a big syringe full.”

 

Janet’s eyes continued their sweep up and down Helen’s arms and when she grasped her right hand and turned it palm up Helen winced, hissing softly in pain. “And what happened to this hand?”

 

“Electrocution...” Helen shrugged, “I stupidly touched one of Adam’s light modules with a metal pipe.”

 

Janet nodded, gently turning the appendage, “You’re lucky there are no second or third degree burns…” She sighed heavily, raising her eyes to Helen’s.

 

“I promise you can examine me thoroughly tonight.” Helen smiled wanly, “Alright?” She bent her head for a kiss and Janet obliged her.

 

“Only say it if you mean it.”

 

“How’s our patient?”

 

“Well… it doesn’t make any sense,” Janet pursed her lips in a thin line, “I stopped the internal bleeding, there’s no sign of infection and yet, his organs are failing…”

 

~

 

Henry hurried to unload the devices he and Kate found in the warehouse when he sensed Tesla behind him, _“Yeah,”_ he said tensely, “I know, you’ve been _waiting…”_ Nikola said nothing and he continued, feeling short-tempered, “ _Listen!_ I’ve been working _like a dog…_ ” he stopped himself, hating it when canid references slipped from his mouth, _“_ I mean; _very hard,”_ he amended, “to get all this back intact… more or less.”

 

Tesla held his hands out in surrender, “I’m not here to rush you.”

 

“What?” Henry turned to him, incredulous.

 

“No,” he assured him, “I just wanted to see if you needed some help.”

 

“Uh, _no…”_ Henry lifted out one of the light modules he found in the warehouse, “I got it…”

 

“Interesting,” Tesla hovered over him; “may I uh…” he pointed at the device.

 

“Look,” Henry held up a hand to stop him, “whatever this is almost got the doc killed, okay?”

 

Tesla slowly circled to his other side, “I understand…” He noted the smooth surface, “Seamless construction…” he observed in a hushed voice, “Perhaps a special milling….”

 

Henry batted his hand away, “ _Or,_ it’s an organic hybrid compound.”

 

“But then I’d expect to see some structural deterioration.”

 

Henry stared down blankly at the device for a moment, “Uh, yeah, that’s true.”

 

“Which I don’t…”

 

“No…” Henry agreed. “Do you think it’s something Worth created?”

 

“Or _procreated_ …”

 

“Stolen from, uh… whatcha’ call it?”

 

“Hollow Earth.”

 

“Yeah… Hollow Earth?” Henry asked, recalling how jubilant and insufferable Tesla had been when he finally decoded the holographic map.

 

“Well perhaps you and I,” Tesla picked the device, “can see if we can get it working again.” He smiled, “What do you say?”

 

“Yeah!” Henry enthused then added, _“Wait…”_ He looked concerned as Tesla turned the device this way and that, “is that safe?”

 

“Oh no,” Tesla assured him, still smiling, “most definitely not.”

 

~

 

Janet pointed at the microscope, “His blood and tissue samples…”

 

“The cellular walls...” Helen peered into the dual eyepieces.

 

“Degrading…” Janet nodded, sighing, “at an alarming rate. And it’s not wholly systemic; it seems to be targeting just his vital organs,” she crossed her arms over her chest, “probably some form of radiation sickness.”

 

“He did find a way to speed up time…”

 

Janet looked at her quizzically, “He what?”

 

“Oh yes,” Helen stood, “and I’m assuming this is the price he had to pay…”

 

“Well,” Janet shrugged, helpless for the moment. “we may be able to slow the deterioration but…”

 

“He’s dying.” Helen stated.

 

“Yes.” Janet shook her head, “I don’t understand what happened,” she turned to her, “when you left you were going to help an abnormal…”

 

“It was Adam,” Helen sank into a chair, “he laid a trap for us….” she shrugged, “well, for _me_ anyway. I was still inside when Will and Kate left the building and Adam activated a device that encased the entire structure in a time dilation field…”

 

Janet pulled a chair close to Helen’s, her brows arched questioningly.

 

“He sped up time, although I don’t know how he could have created such a device by himself. It felt like I was trapped for hours inside that building but when we escaped Will and Kate had still only just left it…”

 

“Is he the Adam Worth you knew at Oxford?”

 

Helen wearily closed her eyes, “Yes… he was so brilliant, so dangerously mentally ill. His more malicious personality still likes to think of himself as the inspiration for Mister Hyde.” She shook her head, “Even though Stevenson wrote his novel about Jekyll and Hyde while high on cocaine and never knew Adam…” She smiled tiredly, “Sorry,” she apologized, “I don’t mean to ramble.”

 

“It’s okay.” Janet placed a gentle hand on her arm.

 

“We used to call it Multiple Personality Disorder and now we call it...” Helen’s brow furrowed in concentration and Janet offered,

 

“Dissociative Identity Disorder.”

 

“Exactly...” Helen gingerly leaned her head back, careful to rest an uninjured part against the wall. “He knew about the map… he knows about the holographic city that father left for me… and I think we can _safely_ assume that he is the _Doctor J_. who created the memory device and engaged Walburga Hupfauer to extract my memories…”

 

“That led us to your father’s book and crystal that activated the holographic city.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Janet sighed, “Doctor Jekyll.”

 

“And he used that as an alias, yes.” Helen dragged herself tiredly from the chair, “Adam did reveal that there is a keystone that unlocks the hologram.”

 

Janet raised an eyebrow at her, “I thought Nikola did that when he discovered the atlas to Hollow Earth.”

 

“Well,” Helen sighed, “that was certainly helpful, but it’s not what Adam’s been after…”

 

“So why trap you in a building in a…’ Janet struggled with the words, “a _time dilation field_?”

 

Helen shrugged, “Knowing Adam; showing off, I suspect.”

 

 _“Good afternoon, Kmart shoppers,”_ they heard Nikola’s voice over the intercom, _“our guest is awake.”_

 

Helen sighed again, heavily, “I’m going to change first.”

 

~

 

Worth regarded the four as they entered his secure room; “So… _protégé…”_ he greeted Will when he entered, “and, _ah…”_ his grin was malicious when Janet entered next, _“concubine…”_ he said silkily, leering first at her then Helen. “She’s _nice_ , Helen.” he snickered, completely ignoring Tesla.

 

“Adam…” Helen began.

 

“Not available…” Worth rolled his eyes at the ceiling.

 

“Well, then, _Doctor J.,”_ she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, “I imagine you were quite unhappy when Walburga Hupfauer and her protégé failed you…” Worth stared at the far wall, scowling. “Although your memory device did help us find the map, so I must thank you for that…” Worth’s nostrils flared and his lip curled in a sneer. “Tell me,” she demanded, “how is this, _any_ of this possible?”

The angry sneer melted away and Worth smiled, “You mean, how did I survive?” Helen didn’t respond and he murmured teasingly, “Tell me your secrets and I’ll tell you mine.”

 

“You’re ill,” she folded her arms across her chest, “you need treatment, help us and we’ll help you.”

 

“Oh Helen…” he said condescendingly, “you’ve grown so impatient in your old age… _Play the game…_ don’t just berate me.”

 

“We could just let him die.” Tesla offered helpfully, making a smile quirk on Janet’s lips.

 

“I think,” Worth interrupted him, “you might want to take that one off your list.”

 

“Don’t assume too much…” Helen responded dryly and left the room, followed by Janet and Tesla.

 

The dark scowl returned to Worth’s face and he took a moment to compose himself before addressing Will, “ _Protégé_ , may I please have some Jell-O?” Will pulled a chair close to the bed and sat, unresponsive. “So… you and your little team retrieved my memory device from that woman and her chameleon and that’s how Helen found the map.”

 

“How did you know we had the map?”

 

“Tell me a story, protégé…”

 

“Why don’t you tell me one?”

 

“Adam sends his love.”

 

“I’d like to talk to him,” Will countered quietly, “if I could.”

 

Worth pursed his lips, pouting, “No.”

 

“Are you ashamed to let him speak?”

 

Worth scoffed, “Lad’s a genius… a forgotten, brilliant mind.”

 

“Who needs your protection...” Will raised an eyebrow skeptically, “Without you, Adam would be,” he shrugged again, “ _very_ vulnerable.”

 

“Affirmation of my psychodynamic? Rationalizing my warring personalities? Looking for a doorway into my world?” Worth suddenly lunged against the restraints, _“Who said you could work with men?”_ he hissed. “You’re a child…” He sank back into the pillows.

 

“I just want to help both of you.” Will insisted calmly.

 

Worth whimpered pitiably, his lips quivering melodramatically, _“Please help me, protégé…”_ His features turned cold once again, “Satisfied?”

 

Will drew in a deep breath, “Jell-O, huh?”

 

“Mmm...” Worth, shrugged, nodding.

 

“I’ll see what I can do.” Will got up to leave and when his hand was on the door, he heard, spoken in a soft Irish brogue,

 

“If you turn your back on him you’ll never find it.” Will turned to him and Adam whispered, _“The underground city…”_

 

~

 

“No nasty comments,” Henry said as he rummaged through drawers in his lab, “no sarcastic cracks… you okay?”

 

Nikola snatched a tool from one of the drawers behind him and slammed it shut, “ _No,_ I’m not okay!” He stomped around to the opposite side of Henry’s worktable, “It took me… _me_ , mind you, _days_ to crack that holographic piñata up in the library and then, after several bottles of Chablis, I finally get over my humiliation… and then this… _shipment of fresh hell arrives!”_

 

“Okay,” Henry stole a look at him before turning back to the light modules he retrieved from the warehouse, “find your happy place.”

 

“I mean this is technology…” Nikola stammered, “that I’ve never seen before!” he gestured helplessly, “And... to be brutally honest… and I _don’t_ want this getting out,” he stabbed a finger at him, “I find it rather humbling… and _I don’t do humble.”_

 

Henry’s brows arched high _“Copy_ _that.”_ He turned back to the table, “Okay, well maybe if we pry all this open?” he gestured to the frying-pan sized device.

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

 

Henry shrugged, “I’ve X-rayed it, pinged it…”

 

“Dropped it on the floor…” Nikola murmured.

 

“Saw that, did you?”

 

“And I didn’t say anything.”

 

“I’m pretty sure it’s not gonna’ go _boom_.”

 

Tesla looked at him askance, “Okay, have at it...” he said confidently, backing away to what he hoped was a safe distance.

 

Using long tweezers, and tensing noticeably, Henry pulled away some of the skin-like covering from the back of the device and Nikola gingerly approached,

 

“Nice work, Heinrich.” Henry pressed the side of the tweezers against a yielding jelly-like surface, “Hmm,” he muttered, “organic nanite-matter.”

 

Both men turned brilliant grins to one another, _“Cool…”_ they intoned in unison.

 

~

 

“You should feel honored.”

 

Will grasped the bedrail at the foot of the bed, “Adam?”

 

“Deep, into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal dared to dream before...”

 

Will nodded, “Poe?”

 

“Now _there_ was a whack-job.”

 

“Do you think you’re a _whack-job_?”

 

He blinked dramatically, “Whatever gave you _that_ idea?”

 

“You were gonna tell me about the city…”

 

“How do you stand it?” Adam’s voice changed, the Irish brogue changing into the harsh British accent of Worth, “Working for that _heartless bitch_?”

 

“She angers you.” Will stated the obvious.

 

Worth lunged again against the restraints, _“She murdered my daughter!”_ Will looked at him blankly and he sank back into the bed, his eyes narrowing, “You have _no idea_ who she is, do you? She’s hardly the hero you think she is.” Will only raised his eyebrows enquiringly and he sighed, “My daughter, Imogene… I tried everything… and Helen was considered an expert in the field of fringe science and medical research back then. Imogene had a rare form of leukemia and _that bitch_ refused to help us.”

 

~

 

“No, England’s prime minister only approached Helen with the task of stopping Adam,” Tesla sighed, crossing one long leg over the other, “Worth had created a vast amount of cyanide and planned to kill all of London with it... and seeing as London was more appealing than Budapest at the time…” Nikola admired the deep claret he swirled in the glass, “James and Nigel and I decided to help her find him and turn him over to the government.” He shook his head at the memory, “We discovered he planned to use the city’s gas lines to pump the cyanide into homes and businesses throughout London… but we stopped that.”

 

“But you didn’t catch him?” Henry stated more than asked.

 

“No,” Tesla sighed, “he was long gone.”

 

Will had come to Henry’s lab for some more background information on Adam and his eyebrows bounced as he listened. He stood at one of Henry’s workstations and pulled up Adam’s medical file, checking to see if Bigfoot had uploaded his latest blood panel results.

 

“Man, _that is so James Bond_ , only it,” Henry blurted, then suddenly looked embarrassed, “it was _before_ James Bond so it’s _cooler.”_

 

“Damn…” Will sighed.

 

“What?’ Henry squinted at the monitor.

 

“I’m just going over the latest bloodwork from Worth.”

 

Nikola sipped the wine, “Please tell me he’s dying...”

 

“He is,” Will sighed, “even with his treatments from Janet and Magnus, his organs are continuing to deteriorate.”

 

“Oh…” Nikola joined them at the monitor, “I was wrong, there _is_ a god.”

 

“That’s not the worst of it,” Will clicked another slide onto the screen, “I cross-referenced his bloodwork with another set of samples.”

 

“So,” Tesla shrugged, “the platelets are continuing to group… at this rate he’ll experience complete organ failure and be dead within a matter of weeks.”

 

“That’s not Adam’s blood.” Will spoke gently, “It’s Magnus’…”

 

~

 

Will burst in the lab area of the infirmary, taking immediate note of the heavy pall that hung in the room and how the two women stood so close to one another in front of the monitor showing the slides of Adam and Helen’s infected blood.

 

“So,” Helen turned wearily, “you know.”

 

“Uh… yeah,” he stood awkwardly and shoved his hands in his pockets, “I was in Henry’s lab so… he and Tesla know too.”

 

Helen sighed again and sat heavily in the chair against the wall.

 

Will watched a complex range of emotions wash over Janet’s features. “There _has_ to be something;” He slid his hands from his pockets and gestured helplessly, “drugs that manage the effects of chemotherapy… anti- radiation treatments... _something_.”

 

Helen regarded him limply, “I doubt any conventional approach would work…”

 

“I don’t think this was a normal dose of radiation, Will,” Janet’s voice shook, “It was something the human body was never meant to be exposed to.” She drew a deep breath and looked away from the monitor, “Moving though dimensions of time and space…” She closed her eyes, a soft noise, almost sounding like a chuckle escaped her, “It sounds so ridiculous when you say it out loud.”

 

Will regarded Magnus sympathetically, “And yet it’s killing you.”

 

“Poison’s a poison…” she shrugged.

 

“Then we’ll find the antidote!” he spoke quietly, but with conviction, “We will whip Tesla like a rented mule…” he smiled when Magnus did, “until we make a breakthrough.”

 

“I like the whipping Tesla idea.” Helen chuckled again and when she stood, suddenly grabbed the edge of the table, _“Oh dear…”_ she rasped when a wave of nausea and dizziness made the room tilt at a sickening angle.

 

 Janet clutched her arm, “You need to eat...” she mumbled, helping Helen sit again.

 

Inartfully changing the subject, Helen asked, “So what have you learned about Adam?”

 

Unaware she was holding her breath, Janet exhaled explosively, trying to contain her emotions, _“Helen!_ You’re exhausted…”

 

“We both know this can’t wait…” Helen squeezed the elegant hand, trying not to wince at the pain in her singed palm and fingers.

 

 “He’s a textbook dissociative,” Will sat on a stool in an effort not to pace the room, “obviously there are two distinct personalities wrestling for control…”

 

“Bully and the victim all in one neat package.”

 

“Yeah,” Will nodded, “my sense is it’s from of sustained post-traumatic stress resulting from the loss of his daughter…”

 

Helen nodded, “Which he blames me for…”

 

“He said you refused to help...”

 

Helen closed her eyes, “Of course he does...” she muttered wryly, shaking her head. “We tried everything…” her voice trailed away and she sighed, “Loss of a daughter…” she squeezed Janet’s hand again, “It’s a wound that never heals.”

 

“I think,” Will offered in a quiet voice, “he’s handling it differently than you.”

 

“Do you believe there are other reasons for his madness?”

 

“His paranoid rage,” Will ventured carefully, “stemming from his belief that you tracked and murdered him...”

 

Both women noted the tone in Will’s voice and Helen asked, “Are you asking if we hunted him down?” Will said nothing and she nodded firmly, “Yes, absolutely we did. The prime minister approached me and offered financial, governmental support for the sanctuary, unofficially, of course, if I stopped Adam in his efforts to poison all of London. Once I knew of his plans I would have taken private measures to stop him anyway, but I agreed to apprehend Adam and stop him from harming innocent people. I asked Nigel, Nikola and James to help me… We believed we were acting in the best interest not only of ourselves but of the public as well.” Her eyes drifted closed at the memory, “At first, we were right; Adam was going to use cyanide… passing it through London’s massive network of gas lines powering lights back then. We barely managed to disable it in time.” Her eyes opened wearily, “Adam, of course, was long gone… Had we failed,” she added, her voice sounding stronger, “thousands, perhaps millions could have died.”

 

Janet noticed Will’s eyes harden,

 

“And you got a sweetheart deal from the government to boot.”

 

Helen nodded, reluctantly, “I could continue my father’s work privately and the sanctuary would be compensated financially for removing dangerous abnormals from society, yes, but…”

 

“And all you had to do was hand Adam over to the…”

 

 _“He wasn’t an abnormal, Will,”_ Helen sighed, shaking her head, “he was a dangerous…”

 

Will stood, crossing his arms over his chest, “I’m guessing it didn’t end there.”

 

Helen’s eyes narrowed and she stood too, facing him, “I was under a _tremendous_ amount of pressure and he was still _very much_ a threat.”

 

Janet didn’t like where this was going, Helen sounded increasingly defensive and Will’s eyes had taken on a suspicious, accusing cast and she stood between them, “Alright, look…” she tried to stop them but Helen cut in,

 

“I tracked him to the Grand Canyon… it was my intention to take him into custody and transport him back to Britain so I could hand him over to the crown… but when I caught him he simply…” she shook her head, “he spread his arms wide and deliberately fell backward, off the cliff… _I thought_ to his death, hundreds of feet below.”

 

“When I took this job,” Will jabbed an accusing finger at her, “I had _one_ condition… _no secrets?”_ he reminded her and flung his arms wide, “And now I discover that this _whole_ place was built on the blood of a dead man?”

 

 _“It was necessary!”_ Helen blurted, distraught.

 

 _“It was a psychiatric disorder!”_ Will bellowed back, his eyes blazing.

 

 _“We didn’t understand the mind back then, Will!”_ Helen held her ground, “We only knew he was a threat.”

 

“To the public?” Will parked his hands defiantly in his hips, “Or to _your_ work?”

 

 _“How dare you!”_ Helen jabbed an accusing finger of her own, “You’ve _no_ idea wha...” A violent fit of congested coughing interrupted her and she covered her mouth as the spasms shook her uncontrollably.

 

Regretting his outburst, he stepped forward to help her back in her seat, “Hey… Magnus…” He stopped when Janet pinned him with cold eyes,

 

“I think you’ve said enough, Will.” She grasped Helen’s arm and helped her back onto the chair, her eyes growing wide in worry and concern when she saw Helen’s blood-filled palm.

 

~

 

Will nearly ran into Nikola when he left the infirmary, “You don’t want to go in there right now.” he warned him.

 

Nikola peered over his shoulder and through the wide window at Janet, who hovered protectively over Helen, “I take it you made Janet angry…”

 

“Yeah, well,” Will sighed, “I’m smooth that way.”

 

“Me too,” Tesla led him to the elevator and when they entered, handed him a printout, “You should have finished reading Helen’s results…” He crossed his arms agitatedly over his chest, “It’s spread…”

 

“Lymph nodes…” Will’s eyes scanned the report, “kidneys…”

 

Tesla pointed at the sheet, “Upper spine…”

 

“They need to see this…”

 

“I think it’s safe to assume they already have…” Tesla said dryly. “I don’t think you understand; with this much damage…”

 

“We’ll find a treatment…” Will said, frustrated.

 

“And if we don’t, she dies, Adam dies, we don’t get into the city and all of its secrets are lost.”

 

“ _If_ that’s what happens…” Will handed the file back to him, “We’ll deal with it…”

 

Tesla shot him a look, “I don’t think so…”

 

~

 

Helen sat heavily on the edge of their bed and Janet helped her out of her clothes, “Back to being a burden, I see…” she mumbled tiredly.

 

Janet had unhooked Helen’s bra and she clasped the fine features in gentle, yet firm hands, “Don’t you _ever_ say that to me again, Helen.”

 

Helen looked up into determined deep brown, she was about to speak when she noticed the pain gathered in the corners of Janet’s eyes, “I’m sorry.”

 

Janet’s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears and she shook her head, “No…” her voice shook as she carefully lifted the bra from Helen’s bruised shoulders, “I’m the one who’s sorry…” She sniffed determinedly, “Can you stay upright for a moment while I listen to your lungs?” she asked as she grabbed the stethoscope from the nightstand. Helen nodded and she took care to place the diaphragm on only unmarred skin. Helen inhaled as deeply as she could but winced and wheezed audibly with the effort. “It’s okay…” Janet licked her lips, “Don’t force it, I can hear just fine.” Tears dripped from her eyes when she heard the fluid in Helen’s lungs, _Blood…_ She cleared her throat and helped Helen under the covers before stripping and sliding in the bed next to her.

 

“Thank you…” Helen murmured quietly, trying to stifle the urge to cough.

 

Janet had taken quiet note of the dark, vividly colored bruising that seemed to cover Helen’s entire body and she lay on her side, facing her, “I think I should give you something for pain.” she stated rather than asked. Helen’s brows arched and she added, “You clearly took quite a beating,” she pushed the covers from her, “I’ll get you something.” She felt a hand on her arm, stopping her,

 

“Janet,” Helen pleaded softly, “please, I’m…” Janet’s pained eyes stopped her from saying _fine_ and she smiled tiredly, “I really just want to lie here with you…”

 

Janet reluctantly lay beside her again, “Okay,” she said meekly, “can you sleep though?” Her fingertips smoothed the dark hair from Helen’s bruised face. “You need to rest.”

 

“I can,” Helen assured her quietly, “but can I make love to you first?”

 

A sob broke from Janet and she turned her face into the pillow. Helen’s features crumpled and she pressed her cheek close to Janet’s, _“Please, my love…”_ she whispered thickly, _“I can through this as long as you’re with me.”_

 

Still sobbing, Janet turned her face from the damp pillow and planted her mouth over Helen’s. Pushing gently, she rolled Helen onto her back and while their tongues fervently stroked and entwined in each other’s mouths, she pulled Helen’s right hand between her legs, _“You stop if this hurts too much…”_ she rasped, her features twisting into a mask of agonized passion when Helen slid her middle finger between the swollen, sodden inner folds.

 

 _“Promise…”_ Helen rasped hoarsely, feeling her body relax into the mattress beneath her as she fondled Janet. Her scorched fingers were sore from the electrical burns but she smiled when Janet began to move on her hand. She lay still while Janet’s hips undulated, coating her questing fingers in warm, creamy cum. Hooking her middle finger inside, she urged Janet closer, and licked her lips in anticipation when Janet angled her opening so she could slide three digits within. Soft moans escaped their lips; Janet, when she felt Helen inside her, and Helen when the silken inner walls squeezed hot, soothing cum into her singed fingers.

 

 _“Dear god…”_ Helen moaned, and began pumping inside, watching Janet’s face as tears streamed down her face. _“I love you, my Janet...”_ she breathed.

 

Janet sobbed brokenly; _“I love you more…”_ she wailed softly and came. Her body stiffened as she climaxed and agonized brown locked fiercely with pained blue. _“I love you more…”_

 

~

 

Will slammed into Worth’s secure hospital room, his eyes blazing,

 

“I take it your boss is feeling poorly.” Worth grinned wickedly.

 

“You’ve been _playing_ me…” Will said, his voice deadly, “buying time so her sickness could take hold… you knew _she_ was dying too!”

 

“One of the unfortunate side effects of traveling through an inter-dimensional rift; even a small dose will kill you eventually.”

 

 _“Oh come on!”_ Will scoffed, “Suicide? You’ve already played that card.”

 

“True...”Worth nodded, conceding the point, “a good magician never plays the same trick twice.”

 

Will tried to punch him in the mouth but Worth deftly moved his head to one side and when Will punched the pillow instead he leaned close; _“There’s a cure…”_ he rasped threateningly, “that’s the only move you have left...”

 

“You are a smart one, young protégé... Yes, there can be a happy ending to all this, and there is indeed a cure for the radiation poisoning in my body and Helen’s… and it’s right… underneath… our feet. “

 

 _“No…”_ Will breathed.

 

“Oh yes,” Worth spoke with quiet authority, “if you want Helen to live, we have to get to Hollow Earth.” When understanding finally illuminated Will’s features, he chuckled softly.

 

~

 

 _“Why Helen,”_ Worth greeted her, “good morning… we were _so_ worried about you.” He smiled, “By any chance are we coughing up blood yet?” He noted the pain in her eyes, “Good… yes, suffering; _check_.”

 

“You knew this would happen,” she ignored him; “you _wanted_ me to follow you into the rift.”

 

 “Ironic, isn’t it? Enemies in life, united in death,” he chuckled, “it’s almost an opera.”

 

“I don’t believe your story about the cure, not for a moment.”

 

“Well, we are fellow scientists, yes?” He paused dramatically, “Ah, that’s right! _You rejected me_... Well, at least you’re consistent.”

 

“If _I_ die, _you_ die…”

 

“Yes, _exactly_.”

 

They regarded one another for a long moment before she leaned close, murmuring, “The river…” she demanded, “how did you survive it?”

 

 _“Ah,”_ Worth smiled, “and now we come to it… I believe I died, floating downstream… and when I woke up I was in a city, deep inside the earth. The people there healed me and treated me as one of their own… They showed me things you can’t _even_ imagine.”

 

“Your longevity…”

 

 _“Tip of the iceberg…”_ he assured her, “it’s the ultimate toy box, nirvana for the gifted.” He laughed, _“Intrigued?”_ His expression softened and the Irish brogue returned, “I don’t blame you for anything, Helen.”

 

“I want to help you, Adam…” she begged, “help us.”

 

“Then let me take us there.”

 

~

 

Janet crossed her arms agitatedly, hoping the act would help contain her emotions, “Show him the map, Helen!”

 

“And put all that power in his hands?” Helen shook her head as she sat wearily behind the desk in their office, “It’s too risky.”

 

Will gestured, helpless, “Back to square one.”

 

“Really?” Henry moaned, “I thought we were so close.”

 

 _“We’ll find a way…”_ Helen insisted. “but Adam Worth is not getting that map _! Not on my watch…”_

 

“Well, about that...” Tesla walked into the office, one hand on his hip and holding a parchment in the other.

 

Janet turned to him, thoroughly annoyed, _“Where have you been?”_

 

“Huh?” he looked at her, “In the library, boning up on the sanctuary charter.” He held the document aloft.

 

 _“Helpful.”_ Henry remarked sardonically.

 

“Wait for it, sonny…” Nikola scolded. “Apparently, if the sanctuary head becomes physically or psychologically compromised…” Helen’s lips pressed together in a thin line of annoyance. “The second-in-command takes over.”

 

 _“Dude,”_ Henry’s voice was furious, _“that is beyond cold.”_

 

Janet crossed her arms, thoroughly annoyed, _“Nikola…”_

 

“Where are you going with this?” Will asked.

 

“Officially,” Nikola looked Helen in the eye, “it’s not _your watch anymore_ and the question of whether or not we show Adam Worth the map is no longer your decision.” He turned from her, “Over to you, Janet… what’s it going to be?”

 

Janet’s brows arched high on her forehead, _You know Helen will never consent,_ she reasoned, _this may be the only way to save her._ “Let’s show Mister Worth the map.”

 

“Janet Fraiser,” Nikola purred, flashing a toothy grin, “if you weren’t already spoken for I believe I’d fall in love with you…”

 

Ignoring him, Janet turned on her heel and left the office, the rest of the group following.

 

“Janet, _please,”_ Helen hurried to catch up to her, “this is a mistake…”

 

“Did you hear what he said?” Janet turned to point at Tesla while she walked, “It’s not your decision anymore…” Her lips pursed in a thin line of determination.

 

“I don’t care who’s decision it is!” Helen nearly shouted as she followed, “The fact remains; showing Worth the map plays directly into his hands!”

 

Janet came to a stop in the hallway and turned to her, “And _how_ is that different,” she enunciated slowly, “from what’s happened so far?” She looked at her pleadingly, “You’re dying, Helen.” She turned and continued down the hall, “He’s already played his trump card…”

 

Janet had Henry call Bigfoot to meet them at Worth’s secure hospital room and he stood in the back, his hulking frame towering over the group.

 

“Well,” Worth regarded them, “it looks like som…”

 

“You can get us to the city?” Janet interrupted him.

 

“ _Concubine_ , I’m impressed…”

 

 _“Stop the bullshit!”_ Janet glared hotly at him, _“I want a straight answer!”_

 

Worth jumped slightly at her vehemence, “Of course…” he steadied himself. “it ‘tis a map, after all.”

 

Janet hesitated a moment; she intensely disliked being at odds with Helen, _But she doesn’t have time for us to keep screwing around with that fucking hologram._ She first turned to look at Helen, who surreptitiously shook her head no then nodded to Bigfoot, “Remove the restraints.”

 

He stepped around Worth’s bed and freed first one wrist, then the other and Janet leaned close,

 

“Look at me…” she murmured, her voice deadly, “Make _one_ false move, and you’re back in here forever.” Adding, “Both of you.”

 

Worth smiled sweetly, “ _We_ won’t disappoint.”

 

Bigfoot placed Worth in handcuffs and leg irons before pushing his wheelchair from the infirmary and down to the library where Henry and Will waited. When they entered, Worth’s face lit up when he saw the glowing holographic city,

 

 _“There she is…”_ he murmured, “beautiful as ever. _Well done…_ I’m surprised you got _this_ far.”

 

“Don’t patronize,” Nikola scolded him contemptuously, “it doesn’t suit you.”

 

“Well, shall we?” Worth held out his cuffed wrists, “time and tide and all that…” Bigfoot grabbed the handcuffs and yanking him roughly from the chair, pulled him close,

 

 _“Give me a reason…”_ he husked, his eyes boring into Worth’s.

 

Worth tried to hold his gaze but stared down at the floor, “I’ve got work to do…” he mumbled. “If memory serves…” Looking at the three-dimensional city around them, he strode purposefully down a miniature cobbled street and stopped before one of the waist-high buildings. With his fingers, he opened a small set of double doors and suddenly the hologram transformed into a large room with a white marble floor.

 

“So… what,” Henry’s eyes were wide with surprise, “we’re _in the room_ of that teeny tiny building now?”

 

“Evidently…” Janet murmured and looked at Helen, “So far he’s is cooperating…” she said quietly.

 

“Yes,” Helen agreed, “but we have no idea what he’s doing…” she replied just as softly, watching with the others as Adam studied a holographic control panel.

 

He expanded some of the glowing icons and moved others when the entire hologram suddenly shut down.

 

 _“Whoa…”_ Will spun in a circle, noting only the empty library they stood in, “What happened?”

 

 _“Dude!”_ Henry exclaimed, _“you broke it!”_

 

Adam stood calmly, “Wait for it.”

 

The group stood silently, expectantly, for a long moment when a golden glowing object, resembling a navigators’ sextant, materialized in mid-air before them. Helen slowly approached, regarding the artifact as it slowly rotated,

 

 _“The keystone…”_ she murmured.

 

“Mmm,” Adam seemed to concur, “the last piece of the puzzle. You find that,” he looked at her, “you’ll find the gateway to Hollow Earth.”

                                        

~

 

Bigfoot returned Adam to his hospital bed and restraints in his secure room on the hospital level while the rest of the group returned to Helen and Janet’s office,

 

Will shoved his hands in his pockets, “How do we know this isn’t all an elaborate trap?”

 

“We don’t…” Helen said somewhat crossly, watching Janet as she searched for images that matched the picture file of the keystone she had downloaded from the library.

 

“But,” Tesla paced the room, “once we have the keystone it will get us the gateway and the gateway will get us the city and the city will get us the cure…”

 

“Yeah, okay, so…” Henry crossed his arms across his chest, “something like that…”

 

“Samuel Beckett wrote a play about this…” Tesla looked thoughtful, “It didn’t sell.”

 

Will noted how quiet Janet and Magnus had become, “So?”

 

“I found it,” Janet said murmured, “it’s an artifact currently in the British Museum.”

 

“Great,” he nodded, “how do we get it?”

 

“We’ll make some calls,” Janet turned to him, “it should be ready for you by the time you get there… Nikola,” she turned to him, “you said the map was designed to shut down when it detected your source blood?”

 

He nodded, “And I had a hell of a time figuring out how to conceal myself so it would stop trying to blow up.”

 

“Good,” she straightened, parking her hands determinedly on her hips, “we’ll have to assume the gateway has the same defense system, so we’ll need a way to cloak the source blood in Helen when we’re ready to go.”

 

“I can make two...” Tesla wagged his brows suggestively.

 

Janet glared at him, “Get to work.”

 

~

 

Bigfoot set up Helen and Janet’s dinner on the desk in their office, anticipating Helen had precocious little energy at the end of such a long and upsetting day. He had taken care to prepare comfort food favorites of both women; onion soup, salads, grilled cheese sandwiches and fruit. Janet watched with silent approval as Helen ate her entire dinner, if slowly, and when they finally retired to their bedroom, she helped her undress and slide under the covers before giving her the bedtime injections of antibiotics and bisphosphonate.

 

Worry threading her voice, Janet asked, “Are you feeling any nausea after getting these?”

 

Helen shook her head, “None so far, no.”

 

“That’s good…” Nodding, Janet stood and began removing her clothes. “Are you still angry I gave Adam access to the map?” She heard Helen sigh,

 

“No… I still wish you hadn’t though, Janet… there’s no telling what he may have done to that program… to mislead us… or…”

 

“We don’t have the time to figure it out by ourselves.” Janet drew a careful breath, firmly tamping down her temper. “ _You_ don’t have that kind of time, Helen… Adam knows he doesn’t have the time either… he has to give us the correct information or he dies too.”

 

“I wouldn’t be too sure…” Helen murmured, _“He is mad.”_

 

Janet slid into the bed next to her and when Helen slowly rolled onto her side to face her, she pulled the bandaged hand over her heart, “Yes,” she sighed, “he’s crazy... but he’s not stupid.” A small smile quirked at Helen’s mouth and Janet smiled back until she felt the tremor in the hand she held. Helen tried to pull away but she curled around the bandaged appendage and placed an equally trembling kiss on it.

 

Helen’s pained eyes closed, _“It’s alright…”_ she whispered, pressing her bruised lips against soft hair while Janet quietly wept.

 

~

 

Janet’s hands twitched while she slept, disturbing images flashed on her mind’s eye until

 

_She found herself kneeling on a cold stone floor, Helen in her arms, her sightless eyes looking past her, through her and into eternity..._

 

“NO!” Janet sat bolt upright in bed and clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the sudden violent flood of emotion that shook her petite frame.

 

“Janet?”

 

She felt Helen stir beside her and she gripped her head in both hands, willing her ragged breath and pounding heart to slow, _“I’m sorry…”_ she rasped hoarsely, her fingers gripping her short hair and pulling slightly. Unaware she had been crying, she suddenly felt the tears that slid down her face and she swiped at them angrily with the back of her hands.

 

“My love…”

 

She felt a soft hand on her bare back and she sniffed loudly, clearing her throat, “I’m sorry I woke you…”

 

“It’s alright.” Helen soothed, “Bad dream?”

 

Janet sniffed again and lay back down beside her, “To be expected I guess.”

 

Helen raised her head high enough to regard the glowing clock face on Janet’s nightstand, “We have another forty-five minutes or so before we should get up.”

 

Janet looked over her shoulder at the time as well, “Will should be back this afternoon with that keystone…” she sniffed and cleared her throat again, “I don’t think there’s going to be any rush to get out of bed this morning…”

 

“I can’t believe it’s taken them more than a week to find that device.”

 

“Well,” Janet pulled Helen’s left hand to her and inspected the palm she removed the sutures from the day before, careful not to touch the still sensitive scar tissue, “I suppose it wasn’t that surprising it simply got lost amid, what, thousands of unidentified artifacts that were simply poorly catalogued and locked away for decades…”

 

“Still,” Helen sighed, “it doesn’t inspire much in the way of confidence for a place that’s been around since 1753.”

 

“Mmm...” Janet sighed, still feeling a little shaky and laced fingers with Helen’s hand and pressed the back of it against her heart, “or we could celebrate it by sleeping in.”

 

“Well then…” Helen seemed to consider her words, “in that case there’s no reason I can’t make love to you now and then we can sleep in as long as we want…”

 

Janet emitted a quiet, amused snort, “So sex is the only way I can keep you in this bed?”

 

“I’ll stay in this bed as long as you stay in here with me…”

 

If Helen had any more to say, her words were lost in Janet’s mouth. Their embrace was liquid and warm and Janet rolled Helen onto her back,

 

 _“Headboard…”_ Helen breathed in her mouth.

 

 _“Excuse me?”_ Janet hotly whispered back.

 

_“Please grip the headboard.”_

 

Smiling, Janet pulled her mouth away and crawling on her hands and knees, carefully straddled Helen’s face and obligingly gripped the ornately carved headboard. Helen wrapped her arms around the slender thighs, guiding the fragrant dripping center over her watering mouth and pulled the slick engorged flesh onto her tongue.

 

Janet’s eyes slammed shut and her body stiffened even as it trembled violently on Helen’s questing lips and tongue. Involuntarily, her hips ground and undulated wantonly and she moaned at the feel of hot cum pouring from her center and into Helen’s feasting mouth.

 

 _“Oh, Helen…”_ Her groan ended in a whimper as she felt an orgasm on rapid approach _, “Oh Helen I’m gonna come… I’m gonna’ come, baby…”_

 

Helen thrust her tongue inside as far as it would go and suckled the opening hard, grunting and moaning into Janet’s wet velvet flesh. Janet’s head rocked back on her shoulders and her moans were long and low as her body became rigid and she ejaculated heavily in Helen’s mouth. Jerking convulsively, she felt more tears stream down her face as she bucked in the waves of pleasure that shook her endlessly.

 

Helen tried to sustain Janet’s climax as long as she could, and when she felt the convulsions begin to diminish, she withdrew her tongue and laved Janet’s length from clit to perineum until she pulled away and collapsed on the bed beside her.

 

 _“Oh my good god, Helen…”_ she gasped, still breathless, “Henley was surely writing about you when he wrote the words, _bloody but unbowed…”_

 

“Ah yes, William…” Helen sighed, licking her lips appreciatively, “He was a nice man.”

 

Janet’s smile was sublime, “You knew him?”

 

“My father did…” Helen let her eyes drift closed in afterglow, “very briefly.” A long moment passed in silence before Helen spoke again, “Adam said Gregory was still alive…”

 

Janet’s brows arched in surprise, “What?”

 

“When we were in that warehouse… he said there was a fifty-fifty chance that he could still be alive…”

 

“Your father lives in Hollow Earth?” Janet sounded incredulous and she exhaled heavily, “I guess that would make sense as much as anything… and why he would have left you those gifts in the first place if he was keeping Hollow Earth as a Plan B of some sort.”

 

“I don’t know…” Helen seemed to shrug, “Adam said he broke a lot rules in a system where punishment was harsh…”

 

“He may have been executed?” Janet asked in a hushed voice.

 

“I don’t know,” Helen repeated, “Adam does adore tormenting me… I suppose we’ll only find out the truth when we get there.”

 

“We’ll get there…” Janet assured her and placed a moist kiss on her lips. Helen’s smile was small but hopeful and her eyelids fluttered closed when Janet’s lips slid down her neck and chest. She suddenly became aware her bulbous clit was pounding rigidly in demanding need and her smile became a wicked grin as Janet suckled first one nipple into hardness and then the other.

 

Janet continued to slide down Helen’s bruised form, taking care over the slowly fading dark bruises and settled between the long legs. Bending them at the knee, Helen spread the battered limbs as wide as she could comfortably endure and placed her scarred hand on the soft hair, pressing Janet into her open folds.

 

Janet mouthed the straining clit, suckling it like a large pacifier and Helen arched on the mattress, whimpers and low moans issuing from deep in her chest. Janet briefly suckled the rigid, florid folds in her mouth, fellating them before dipping her tongue in the molten depths. She suckled the cream-filled pool ferally, grunting aloud as she devoured her completely. When she heard Helen’s cries intensify and felt the hand urging her back to her clitoris she quickly obliged, sliding her lips over the protruding organ and slid three fingers inside Helen’s center. Helen’s low moan became gasping cries and Janet earnestly pumped the digits in the soaking depths while she fervently suckled the rock-hard clit, and when she heard Helen cry out and felt her body stiffen beneath her, she curled the fingers within and rubbed the pebbled patch, smiling against the flesh when Helen came. She scrapped the edge of her teeth over the throbbing clit, replacing her mouth with her thumb and fingers that rubbed and pinched and twisted the erect organ while her mouth clamped determinedly over the geyser of ejaculate that gushed from Helen’s urethra.

 

Helen cried out with each convulsion, her body jerking and trembling in the violent waves of pleasure that fired in every cell in her body, making her feel as though the very essence of her being was contained in her cum and was exploding down Janet’s throat. The sensation made Helen weep with joy in her release, and she sobbed as she urged her body to give everything she had, everything she was to the only woman she would ever love.

 

~

 

Helen gripped the edges of the sink and breathed slowly in through her nose and out her mouth. The rounds of injections Janet was giving her had begun to make her increasingly nauseous and she struggled to calm her breath and roiling stomach, _Just relax,_ she silently commanded, _just breathe… in and out…_ She willed her hands to relax their white-knuckled grip on the sink and slowed her breathing, _There…_ she soothed, _just breathe in and out…_

 

Minutes passed as she regarded her wan features in the mirror, seeing the fading bruise on her cheekbone and the one darkening her left eye, another along her jaw line and the scabbed-over scrapes that topped the bruises on her forehead, near the hairline. _Could be worse, I suppose…_ she mused, _but it must be hard for Janet to see all this every time she looks at me._ She ran her fingertips over the dual green bruise lines across her throat, remembering when Worth knocked the breath out of her by throwing her against a wall, then pinned her down on the cold damp floor and held the edge of a large knife against her throat.

 

“Helen?”

 

She could hear Janet in the bedroom and straightening her clothes, left the bathroom, “Yes?” She was still smoothing down her dress as she followed Janet from their bedroom into their office.

 

“Will is back.” Janet said simply and turned back to regard her, “You look nice.”

 

Helen smiled, “Oh good,” she clasped Janet’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze, “thank you.”

 

They waited at the elevator and when the doors opened Will was inside and he held up package wrapped in plain brown paper, “Got it.” He handed the package to Magnus when they entered and Janet helped her unwrap it.

 

“You got it with no trouble?’ Janet asked, sounding surprised.

 

“Well,” Will sighed heavily, pushing the button for the library floor, “the constipated little man who’s in charge of that particular section of the museum’s archives was an annoying, skinny little handful…”

 

Helen looked up from the golden device, “But I see you managed nevertheless…”

 

“Yeah…” Will nodded tiredly, remembering how impatient he felt when the bespectacled older man kept coming on to him. “He wasn’t terribly subtle…” Janet gave him a look and he quickly amended, “He wasn’t real happy about handing over one of the museum’s _most prized possessions…_ ” Will rolled his eyes, remembering how transparent and clumsy the man’s sexual overtures were, “even though he clearly has not the slightest idea what that thing is.”

 

The elevator doors opened and Janet turned to him as they exited, “You don’t have to hang around for this if you’d rather hit the hay for a while.”

 

“I slept just fine on the way there and back,” Will followed them, “I’m not gonna’ miss this…”

 

When they entered the library, they found Tesla waiting for them with a banded silver bracelet.

 

Janet regarded the device, “Is that the cloak?” she asked hopefully.

 

“Actually… it’s back to being more of a _shield_.”

 

“Okay…” Janet held out her hand for it, watching Helen sink into the nearest chair.

 

“I finally got it to work,” Tesla almost placed it in her hand before pulling it away, “unfortunately though, there’s only one of them which means…”

 

“Only Helen can go.” Janet stated simply and plucked the device from his fingers, inviting no further discussion, leaving a sputtering and exasperated Nikola in her wake. “So, first things first…” she walked along holographic-cobbled streets, carefully examining the glowing buildings until she stopped at what she initially thought was a clock face set into the side of one of the taller structures. “This looks like the yin to this thing’s yang…” she muttered, pressing the device into place.

 

The four could hear a slight, mechanical sound as golden cogs in both devices began to turn and whir. In a flash of glowing blue light, the city around them disappeared and a large three-dimensional representation of earth appeared above them, glowing brightly blue. The image changed, and as they watched, the glowing blue planet rotated and zoomed in, skimming rapidly over a three-dimensionally realized landscape.

 

Helen rose slowly from her seat, “Where is that?”

 

“Turkey…” Nikola muttered. “No… Iran…”

 

“Tibet…” Janet corrected him.

 

“That’s right.” Helen nodded.

 

The holographic image slowed, stopping at a topographical image on a mountaintop and digital map coordinates glowed three-dimensionally above it.

 

 _“That’s where the gateway is...”_ Will mumbled under his breath.

 

“I’ll call Aeryn for some fast transport…” Janet nodded, resolute, “We’ll leave as soon as she can get here.”

 

***

 

Aeryn arranged for a fast plane to take them to Beijing where they boarded a smaller aircraft she then piloted to the Lhasa Gonggar Airport on the Tibetan Plateau. Having read about the many fatal accidents from pilots attempting to land on what Aeryn called “The Hump,” Henry kept his eyes tightly closed throughout the landing procedure, refusing to open them until Kate elbowed him, muttering,

 

“She parked the plane, Hank.”

 

Both Kate and Henry sat protectively on either side of Helen in the small airport’s lounge while Janet helped Aeryn perform a preflight on the military helicopter that would take them to the coordinates indicated on the holographic map.

 

“The seats look fairly decent…” Aeryn glanced at Janet, “it might be a good idea to get Helen on board now so she can get as much rest as possible…”

 

Janet turned to regard the passenger seats behind them, “She slept most of the way here,” she fought to stop her lips from quivering, “but she’s still exhausted.”

 

“The meds aren’t helping?”

 

“Their combined effect has been minimal at best.” Janet cleared her throat and placed her hand on Aeryn’s shoulder, “Thank you again...” She gave her an appreciative squeeze, “There’s no one else who could have gotten us here quicker.”

 

“Always…” Aeryn’s gaze was intense, “You’ll get her there…” she said confidently, “I have no doubt.”

 

~

 

The weather stayed clear and Aeryn was able to land the helo within a hundred meters of the stone gate protecting one of the few entrances to Hollow Earth.

 

Aeryn leaned over the seat to shout at Henry, _“Whatever you do,”_ she shouted over the rotors, _“keep that tracking system broadcasting!”_

 

Henry nodded and joined the group as they trudged over hard-packed snow to the stone gate, barely visible in the rocky snow-covered wall. Up close, they could clearly see iconic symbols carved around a circular indentation and Janet pulled the keystone from her backpack and handed it to Helen,

 

_“Here’s goes nothing…”_

 

Her words were lost in the cold and she watched as Helen lined up the center of the golden device in the carving, slowly rotating it until they heard a metallic sound and a low grinding rumbling noise issued from the stone wall that began to move outward.

 

 _“That is so Indian Jones!”_ Kate shouted excitedly.

 

Janet and Henry had pulled camping shovels from their backpacks and began hurriedly scraping away snow from the stone wall’s path,

 

 _“Kate!”_ Henry shouted, _“Less talk, more helping!”_

 

***

 

“Ow, ow!” Worth quietly complained as Nikola placed a new IV in his arm. When he finished he cocked his head to one side, “Tuck me in?” he asked sweetly.

 

“No.” Nikola added, “Although I could add some sulfuric acid to this cocktail and make your blood boil from the inside…” He smiled when he saw Worth squirm uncomfortably, “Would you like that?”

 

Worth’s expression changed, “You haven’t lost your sense of humor…” He smiled beguilingly, “She’s going to die down there, you know that, don’t you?”

 

Will stood in the back of the room and regarded the pair, noticing how Tesla’s spine stiffened.

 

“There will be… _events_ … she is unprepared for…” Worth continued, _“The great Helen Magnus.”_ He chuckled and shrugged, “Oh well, I tried to warn her…”

 

***

 

Huge chunks of ice broke from the edges of the huge stone door and Helen cried out as one heavy piece hit her on the back.

 

“Helen!” Janet and Kate grabbed at her, pulling her away as the group retreated to safe distance, watching as the door swung open.

 

“Okay…” Janet drew in a deep breath as she and Helen stepped forward, crossing the threshold and turning on the flashlights they had taken care to clip to the belt on their parkas. Henry and Kate followed suit. “I wonder if Gregory passed through here…” Janet peered down the dark tunnel.

 

Helen’s smile at the mention of her father quickly faded as the heavy stone door began to swing shut.

 

“Oh no!” Henry rushed to the great stone slab, pushing with all his might to stop it from swinging shut. Kate rushed to help him, “PUSH!” he shouted, _“PUSH!”_

 

The stone door shut with a decisive thud and Henry turned frustratedly to a breathless Kate, “I said _push...”_

 

Her brows arched in disbelief, _“It’s a stone wall!”_ she gestured helplessly.

 

“Well…” Helen shrugged out of her backpack, “at least we’re inside...” she unzipped her parka, “where it’s warm.”

 

Janet followed suit, grateful they had decided to wear leather jackets under the now too warm parkas, “Okay… I think we can safely assume this cave system must somehow lead to the city.”

 

“Hey…” Kate flashed her light on a clear half sphere mounted on the wall and tapped her finger on the surface, “It’s not glass.”

 

“It’s definitely quartz-based.” Helen peered over her shoulder, “An electronic eye of some sort?”

 

“Yeah,” Kate nodded, “and we tripped it on the way in and triggered an auto-lock.”

 

“That’s _great_ ,” Henry turned to them, “but how do we get back out?”

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Janet stepped past Helen and Kate and regarded two deep yellow quartz wall panels mounted across from each other in the dark passageway, “we’re going forward.”

 

“And what have we here?’ Helen asked, running her hand over the smooth surface. At her touch, the two panels lit up, humming and glowing softly yellow and two slender white floor to ceiling pillars between them glowed as well.

 

“A light switch?” Henry asked.

 

Helen peered closely at the carved symbols on the hard crystal, _“Akhkharu…”_

 

Janet stated flatly, “Vampire detector.”

 

“Well,” Kate sighed, “all the major airports have ‘em these days…”

 

Pushing back the sleeve on her black leather jacket, Helen activated the silver bracelet.

 

“How’s Tesla’s gizmo’s working?” Henry asked, squinting at the softly pulsating blue light.

 

“Well,” Helen looked up from the wide silver band, “the light’s on.”

 

“Universal sign that a source blood shield’s working,” Kate surreptitiously crossed her fingers, “right?”

 

“Only one way to find out,” Helen looked down at Janet, “You first.”

 

As soon as Janet stepped between the white glowing rods, a force field appeared, and she stepped slowly across the threshold. Kate was next, and without a word she slowly stepped through the field.

 

“Henry…” Helen nodded to him and nervously, he approached the field and stepped through to the other side.

 

“Clear…” he sighed in obvious relief.

 

“My turn…” Helen stepped up to the field and holding the bracelet in front of her, stepped through the field. The white glowing rods and the force field itself immediately flashed red and Helen paused in the field, _“Oh come on Nikola…”_ she said beseechingly, holding still. Finally, the rods glowed a steady white again and Helen stepped through the field.

 

Kate shook her head, “I take back everything I ever said about the guy.”

 

“Let’s not be too hasty.” Helen muttered and suddenly the rods flashed again and a menacingly red wall of light began to pulsate, filling the entire passageway. “As I was saying...” Helen licked her lips anxiously.

 

“What the hell…” Kate muttered and waved the toe of her hiking boot in the field of light that immediately sparked and sizzled. “CRAP!” she shouted, stumbling away and checking to make sure the beam had not burned through her boot in spite of the smell of burning leather.

 

Janet gripped both her and Helen’s arm, pulling them away from the field that now glowed red, yellow and orange and began moving toward them.

 

“Oh great,” Henry mumbled, backing down the passage, “now you made it mad.”

 

“It’s herding us down this tunnel.” Helen turned and began walking down the passageway, pushing Janet ahead of her.

 

“Like cattle down a chute.” Kate walked backwards, watching the advancing field of light distrustfully.

 

***

 

“You lost the tracking signal?” Will glared at Tesla. “Is it some sort of network error?”

 

“I don’t think so,” Nikola stared at the screen, “I rebooted the entire system.”

 

Will straightened and folded his arms agitatedly across his chest, “So now what?”

 

“Just give me a few minutes….” Nikola rolled his eyes, “there could be any number of reasons why the signal died…”

 

“Such as?”

 

 _“I don’t know,”_ Nikola spoke slowly, “as I said, give me a few minutes, I’d like to check something.”

 

***

 

“It is rather incredible isn’t it?” Helen sounded slightly breathless as they proceeded ahead of the red, glowing pulsating shield down the passageway, “To think we might be the first surface humans to walk this ground in decades… centuries even.”

 

Janet had deliberately slowed their pace to see if the advancing shield would slow as well and was relieved when it adjusted accordingly, _Thank god for small favors…_ she sighed inwardly, _I don’t know how long Helen can keep up even this pace._ She sighed aloud and regarded the large yellow-quartz pillar lights as they walked along the passageway.

 

“What if this is the source for all abnormals?” Helen continued, “Both above and beneath the surface…”

 

“It’d be a real game changer…” Henry said in a low voice, sounding nervous.

 

“Imagine the impact it would have…” Helen panted, licking her lips and pausing to rest a hand on the rock wall.

 

“That shield won’t let us stop…” Janet reminded her, “I don’t mean to nag but I think you should conserve your strength for walking….”

 

“Less talking and more walking?” Helen smiled at her and Janet wondered if she was paler than the artificial lighting revealed.

 

Henry and Kate exchanged worried looks and followed, both turning repeatedly to check on the advancing shield.

 

 _“Dammit…”_ Janet muttered.

 

The passageway widened, opening onto an enormous cavern and a flat metal bridge crossed a dark, yawning abyss to the other side.

 

“What?” Henry asked, mystified until both he and Kate saw the missing section in the middle of the bridge.

 

“Shit.” Kate enunciated succinctly.

 

“It must be centuries old…” Helen bent to rest her hands on her knees as she regarded the structure.

 

“Yeah…” Janet stepped onto the bridge and stamped her booted foot several times experimentally, “Ancient steel…” she muttered. “ _That’s_ reassuring…” she added sarcastically.

 

Kate peered over the side as she and Henry followed them onto the bridge, “Oh _yeah…_ that is a _long_ way down.”

 

“I can jump that.” Helen said confidently and Janet laid a hand on her arm,

 

“I know, but let Henry and Kate jump it first.” She wanted them to jump the gap first so they could make sure Helen landed safely in case her jump was a little short. “Quickly now…” she nodded to the advancing field.

 

“Okay…” Henry ran past them and easily jumped to the other side, Kate on his heels.

 

“You next.” Janet firmly pushed Helen ahead of her and held her breath when she watched her run to the jagged edge and jump.

 

Helen made it easily to the other side but Henry and Kate still grabbed her arms and pulled her several feet along the bridge. Janet ran to the edge and jumped, and although she clearly had more energy than Helen did, her booted feet only landed on the jagged edge on the other side.

 

“Doc!” Henry grabbed her and pulled her forward, away from the edge.

 

“That kind of thing wouldn’t be a problem if my legs were longer…” She grinned at him and grasped Helen’s hand. Her smile instantly faded when she felt the violent tremor and Helen shrugged,

 

“It always scares me when you do that.”

 

***

 

“Oh, so _now_ you admit that you should have listened to me.”

 

Nikola tried to affect nonchalance, but he snapped his fingers impatiently, “Okay! Come on! You still haven’t given us an answer!”

 

“Oh, well now, then let’s review shall we? Lost tracking signal at the gateway, dead tracking beacon, and now you’ve come to ask me for my help.”

 

Nikola jumped from the chair he’d been sitting in, “You know, there’s only so much bile I can swallow in a single day.”

 

“Really?” Worth asked innocently, “I was always given to understand there were other things you could swallow _all day_ long.”

 

“We’re not making any deals with _you_ …” Nikola sneered, “we want _Adam_.”

 

Worth looked from Nikola to Will, who was still standing quietly with his arms folded across his chest.

 

“Alright then,” the soft Irish brogue returned and he shrugged in the restraints, “I’m in.”

 

***

 

Janet squinted up ahead, praying for some armed guards to greet them before Helen collapsed. She had stumbled and fallen to her knees thirty minutes earlier, and Kate and Henry had quickly pulled her to her feet, pulling her arms across their shoulders and dragged her down the corridor until she regained her feet. Helen was clearly at the end of her reserves and Kate and Henry had stayed on either side, supporting her under her shoulders, their free hands grasping the back of Helen’s belt to help keep her upright.

 

“So…” Henry tried not to sound winded as they walked, “we’re really gonna’ just turn ourselves in?”

 

“Yep…” Janet nodded as she led the way, “It has to be the fastest way to the city.”

 

“She’s got a point there.” Kate muttered, hoping with her soul they would be found soon.

 

***

 

“I believe…” Adam muttered as he turned the parasitic tick-like memory device in his hands, examining it, “I can adjust the penetration depth… so the needles access my occipital lobe. Specifically the visual cortex...”

 

“Right,” Nikola concurred, “where all spatial relationships are processed.”

 

“Which is what we need if we’re going to get there and figure out where they went…” Will sat quietly watching them, “But won’t the data be in binary form?” He gestured helplessly, “Sequences of zeros and ones.”

 

“True,” Nikola looked thoughtful, “but if we combine the coordinates from Adam’s brain with the holographic map…”

 

 _“Ahh,”_ Adam nodded, “that would do it.” He finished adjusting the device and turning in his seat, handed it over to Will. Will stood behind him and pressed the silver palm-sized device against the back of Adam’s skull and the legs immediately attached themselves to his scalp.

 

***

 

The amber light beacons were spaced closer together and Janet had begun to hope they were nearing a habited area when Helen suddenly became deadweight in Henry and Kate’s arms and the trio sank onto the stone floor.

 

 _“Doc!”_ Henry grunted and Janet rushed to them.

 

“I’m alri…” Helen mumbled faintly.

 

“Bullshit.” Janet muttered, frustrated, looking over their heads at the security shield that stubbornly herded them when it suddenly stopped, the thrumming, pulsating hum it emitted smoothing into a single low tone.

 

“Stay where you are.”

 

She heard behind her. She slowly raised her hands in surrender and turned, “Hello,” she ventured calmly, “my name…”

 

“Stand and place your hands on your head.”

 

The six men dressed in military-style uniforms held them at gunpoint with taser-looking rifles, quickly surrounding them as Henry and Kate stood cautiously, placing their hands on their heads.

 

Janet stepped back protectively, “We are not here to threaten you… this is my wife, and she is very sick…”

 

The leader stepped forward, pointing his weapon at Magnus, _“I said stand…”_

 

 _“Dude,”_ Henry gestured to Magnus with his elbow, _“she’s sick, she can’t!”_

 

“We’ll come with you willingly,” Janet stepped back again until she felt Helen behind her, “but she needs help to walk.”

 

***

 

Will breathed slowly in through his nose as he watched Adam, _I hope Nikola understands what he’s doing…_ he thought agitatedly, _because_ I _sure as hell don’t._ They were in the library, and he watched as Bigfoot stood over an animated Adam as he finished connecting cables from the laptop Nikola was using to the memory device and from the laptop to the crystal that controlled the holographic map.

 

“This platform,” Nikola regarded the equipment, “should translate the data from your visual cortex into a language this thing can understand.”

 

“Allow me…” Adam gestured to the laptop and when he entered some commands, the glowing blue holographic image of earth turned and rotated, illuminating a complex network of glowing tunnels inside the sphere.

 

 _“Amazing…”_ Nikola marveled that they had actually succeeded.

 

“Well done us…” Adam murmured and stepped around the table to the glowing image, “I always knew we’d work well together.” He walked around to the opposite side of the image, adding, “You just never gave me the chance.”

 

“Yes, well,” Nikola rested a hand on his hip, “better late than never, huh?”

 

Worth smiled grandly and Will felt a thrill of fear race along his spine, “Always.” He heard him say as a blinding blue light shot from the memory device just before he lost consciousness.

 

***

 

Janet fumed as they walked along cobbled stone streets she had seen before in miniature in the sanctuary library. The armed escort had used what she could only guess were electronic handcuffs on them, cuffing them all with their hands behind, even Helen, who was cruelly dragged by her armpits between two of the hulking guards. Helen appeared barely conscious, moaning occasionally in pain as her boots scraped along the stones.

 

The city looked exactly as it did in the scale-sized holograph and when they entered one of the tall buildings, their guards led them into a glass elevator that rode along the exterior and Janet finally marveled at the enormous city that appeared before them as the elevator car rose.

 

The guards led them to a small holding cell, “Look,” she turned to their captors, “we’ve more than cooperated, so please…” She noted only Henry and Kate had been shoved in behind her; Helen was being dragged further down the hallway, “Wait!” She tried to leave the cell and follow, but one of the guards placed a large hand on her chest and when he shoved her back inside, the solid wall of a door slid smoothly shut.

 

~

 

Helen was dragged into a large chamber at the end of the hall and when the guards finally released her arms, she collapsed on the floor. She fell with a thud and cried out at the pain in her shoulders. One of the guards roughly yanked her up onto her knees and she bit her lip, trying not to cry out again. She saw a woman with long dark hair standing at the enormous windows slowly cross the room towards her,

 

“I am Ranna Seneschal,” she spoke quickly as she looked down her nose at her, “leader of Praxis.”

 

“I’m…”

 

“Helen Magnus,” the woman nodded.

 

“You know me…” Helen’s brow furrowed in confusion, “then… you must know where my father is…”

 

“This is not a council, this is a judgment: you are incomers from above,” she continued summarily, “a threat to this city and to this realm, and as leader of your group, you’re to be executed… immediately.”

 

Helen’s eyes widened in shock and as she felt the handcuffs being removed from her wrists she blurted, “Summary execution? And here I thought you were more evolved than us!” Two cables were lowered from above and two guards tightly fastened two wide metal cuffs around her wrists.

 

“Legal proceedings are reserved for citizens of Praxis alone,” Ranna stood quietly, _“not outlanders.”_

 

“We came here in peace!” Helen cried then cried out again, this time in pain as the cables rose, spreading her arms wide, raising her until her booted feet dangled three feet from the stone floor.

 

“And in doing so,” Ranna said quietly, “you’ve condemned yourself to death.”

 

Helen felt an electrical charge engulf her hands and surge down her arms and she screamed until she lost consciousness.

 

***

 

Will scrubbed at his face and rolled onto his side, groaning softly. He blearily opened one eye a crack and regarded the giant hairy foot in front of him. Bigfoot was sitting upright, his head in his hands as he grunted inarticulately. Cautiously, Will pushed himself from the floor and sat up as well.

 

“So,” he sighed heavily and squinted at the empty table, “I take it Adam took _everything_ after he knocked us out...”

 

Using the table for support, Nikola climbed unsteadily to his feet and shouted, “SON OF A BITCH!”

 

***

 

Janet paced the cell impatiently, she had pleaded and shouted at what she assumed was a security camera mounted near the ceiling and when she heard the door slide open with a whoosh she whirled, _“Where is Helen?”_ she demanded.

 

“Come with us.” The guard yanked her into the hallway, abruptly shutting the door on Henry and Kate.

 

Flanked by two guards, they led her into a large chamber and one of the guards dropped a large, heavy hand on her shoulder, steering her into a large side room. When they entered, they finally removed her handcuffs and when the guard next to her stepped to one side, she could see a crumpled form lying on the stone floor beyond,

 

 _“Helen!”_ she shouted and ran to her side, falling to her knees, “Helen?” Rolling her onto her back, her hands froze in horror when Helen’s lifeless eyes stared vacantly past her. _“Oh no…”_ she whispered, smoothing the hair from her pale features, “oh please no…” Tears dripped from her eyes and smoothing her hands over the cold cheeks, slid them down her neck and she moaned in pain when she felt no pulse beat under her fingertips. A soft, heartbreaking wail tore from her lips and she lifted Helen’s limp form in her arms, cradling her against her chest and rocked back and forth, weeping.

 

Ranna walked into the room, “Be certain we’re not monitored or interrupted…” she addressed her assistant.

 

“Your chamber is secure, Ranna.” The assistant turned and left and Ranna regarded Janet impassively.

 

 _“Why?”_ Janet sobbed, _“Why?”_

 

“ _I_ will ask the questions,” Ranna held out a finger to silence her, “You will answer them.”

 

 _“Why?”_ Janet begged brokenly.

 

“Her life essence… _and yours,_ became the property of this state the moment you set foot here.” She gestured with a sweeping hand, “Under extreme circumstances I can revive convicts, in order to gain further information.”

 

Janet blinked uncomprehendingly, “You can revive her?”

 

“Her father,” she indicated Helen, “was a respected citizen here for sixty-five years, and then suddenly he abandoned all reason and broke our most sacred laws.” She parked her hands on her hips, “Why?”

 

Janet’s head shook helplessly from side to side, “I don’t know…” she sobbed, “Ask _him!”_ She curled over Helen’s form and sobbed brokenly.

 

“Tell me where Adam Worth is…” Ranna shifted her weight to one side, “and I might consider leniency.”

 

“You’ll revive her?” Janet sniffed, holding Helen’s body tight in her arms.

 

“Hmm...”

 

Ranna seemed to concur and Janet struggled to speak clearly, “Adam Worth is a prisoner in our home sanctuary. We came here looking for a cure for the radiation poisoning he infected her with.”

 

Ranna crossed her arms, “More lies…” She circled her, slowly, “I have visual evidence that Adam Worth has reentered our city…” She turned and activated a large holo-screen and Janet watched a visual recording of Adam either stunning or killing several guards before casually strolling out of frame. “Clearly,” she heard Ranna’s voice, “you have formed an alliance with him and are plotting acts of treason.”

 

“He was locked in a secure room!” Janet blurted, “He was restrained! He nearly killed her trying to access the holographic map to this city!” she cried. A sob broke from her and she sniffed aloud, “If her father broke any laws it was to protect you! To show us the map Adam was after!”

 

Ranna snapped, _“This society…”_

 

 _“ENOUGH!”_ Janet shouted, _“Revive her!”_ Janet snarled, _“I am done talking to you until you do!”_

 

Placing her hands back on her hips, Ranna cocked her head to one side, regarding her for a long moment before sauntering away and placed the flat of her palm against a panel on the wall. Her assistant entered the room and she nodded to Helen’s body, “Revive her now.”

 

The assistant nodded and bending on one knee, held a palm-sized device close to Helen’s head and activated it. Helen stiffened rigidly in Janet’s arms and when Janet quickly laid her on the cold floor, she drew a ragged breath.

 

 _“Breathe…”_ Janet’s voice wavered and she cupped the face in her hands, “Breathe, Helen…”

 

“The revival process is harsh,” the assistant touched Janet lightly on the arm, “but she will soon adjust.”

 

“What?’ Helen gasped and struggled to sit up but Janet pulled her back into her arms, sobbing quietly.

 

“Proteins…” the assistant placed a bottle of a milky-looking substance on the floor in front of them, “for the stasis sickness… although her radiation poisoning will no doubt complicate the process.” She helpfully removed the cap, “I’m Fallon…” she gestured to herself, “Ranna’s chief counsel.”

 

 _“What happened?”_ Helen rasped, alarmed by Janet’s weeping.

 

“You were executed according to our laws,” Fallon said helpfully, “Our leader had you revived.”

 

“Oh…” Helen said softly and weakly pulled Janet’s hand to her lips. She let a long moment pass until Janet’s sobbing quieted and she squinted at the assistant, noting the elliptical pupils, “You’re… a Quinterran…” she rasped hoarsely.

 

“That would be my surface counterpart,” she said quietly, “I’m Herusan, a visual offshoot of the species….”

 

Janet sniffed loudly and swiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand then held the bottle to Helen’s lips, encouraging her to drink. Helen’s features twisted in disgust and she weakly pushed it away.

 

 _“No…”_ Fallon gestured to Janet, “she must drink it, it will help.”

 

“Why kill me then bring me back?” Helen gasped before choking down more of the chalky beverage.

 

“Because I have questions,” Ranna answered, watching from across the room, “away from the eyes of the senate.”

 

Helen choked down more of the substance and glared at her, “So do I…”

 

Ranna planted her hands authoritatively back on her hips and crossed the cavernous room toward them, “This society has existed, while your ancestors were _hiding in caves.”_ She spread her arms wide, “ _For eight thousand years_ , our very reason for being is to maintain order… to hold back the beings from within this realm from ever reaching the surface.” Her tone softened and she added, beseechingly, “If this city falls…”

 

Listening intently, Janet said quietly, “So does the surface.”

 

“We maintain peace, between humans and abnormals,” Ranna spoke quietly, “despite the fact that many species seek our destruction.”

 

Janet held the bottle to Helen’s lips, insistently, “Adam’s escaped…”

 

Helen weakly pushed the bottle away, “What? _How?”_

 

“Decades ago he broke our most scared laws and was sentenced to death… a few months ago he was mysteriously revived and escaped…” Ranna replayed the video of Adam defeating the Praxian guards, “and now he’s back.”

 

Janet murmured quietly, “She also says your father’s been living here for sixty-five years.”

 

“I said he _lived_ here for sixty-five years.” Ranna sharply corrected her. “Several months ago he helped Adam Worth escape our punishment and our world…”

 

Helen grimaced as she choked down more of the supposedly restorative drink, deciding it had a slimy quality as well as a thick, chalky consistency. “My father is an honorable man,” she glared at Ranna again, “if he lived here for as long as you say he did then you must know that…” she shook her head, “He must have given me the map to your city in order to _protect_ you from Adam back then…” She struggled to sit up, “Where is he?”

 

Ranna drew herself to full height and stood over them, “Gregory Magnus was executed and the senate had his body incinerated,” she answered simply, “to prevent revival.”

 

Both Janet and Helen froze, _“Oh my god…”_ Janet’s hands rested on Helen’s shoulders and she tightened her grip when she felt her tremble rigidly.

 

Helen sagged visibly as the hope of ever seeing her father again evaporated in an instant. Ranna watched, detached as Helen’s chin trembled and she sniffed, determined not to show emotion to this woman.

 

“Please…” Janet begged, “she’s endured so much… Adam Worth contracted a woman named Walburga Hupfauer to abduct Helen and extract memories she didn’t even know she had about the map Gregory gave her decades ago.” Her voice faltered, “The woman’s protégé tortured her first…” Janet’s voice broke and she struggled to continue even as tears spilled down her cheeks, “She _barely_ survived… it was Adam’s memory device that revealed what Helen was to look for; a book and a crystal that had to be used together to create the holomap… and even then we only had a scale model of this city…” She wrapped her arms around Helen and nuzzled her hair briefly before she continued, “We couldn’t decipher it and it wasn’t until Adam abducted her… trapping her in a time dilation field… poisoning her with the same radiation sickness he had given himself...”

 

Ranna arched her brows impatiently, “And what has all this to do with _anything?”_

 

 _“Helen defeated him!”_ Janet cried, sniffing and standing to face her, “Adam set his time dilation device to overload and when they exited the field he was too weak to fight us…” she angrily swiped at her tear-stained face with her hands, “so we put him in restraints _in a secure room_ in our sanctuary! I don’t know how or when he escaped… we only came here because he said this city held a cure for her radiation poisoning…” Ranna looked blankly at her and Janet screamed, _“SHE’S DYING BECAUSE OF ADAM WORTH AND YOUR WORLD!”_

 

“My father was a man of great honor…” Helen spoke quietly, “he _never_ would have worked with Adam…”

 

“Please...” Janet held her hands palms up, “ _please…_ help her… help her and we will do everything in our power to find and stop Adam Worth.”

 

Ranna drew a deep breath then sighed heavily and nodded to Fallon, who stood near the door, “You have the data necessary for treatment?”

 

Fallon nodded, “It was recorded during revival.” She held up the device.

 

Ranna nodded, “Have it brought here,” she pointed warningly at her, _“quietly.”_

 

~

 

Henry nervously paced the cell and Kate kicked him, “Stop it.” He ignored her and when she turned to scold him more forcefully, the cell door slid open,

 

“Let’s go.” The guard motioned down the hallway.

 

 _“Oh… kay…”_ Henry sighed tensely, terrified and they exited the cell.

 

The guards led them to the large chamber and, like Janet, steered them to the smaller room,

 

“Doc!” Henry spied Helen across the room, seated in a chair at a table and Janet hovering protectively.

 

Kate said nothing, only nodding to Janet, and noting silently how weak and pale Magnus looked.

 

“Are you okay?” Henry asked as a guard removed the handcuffs from their wrists.

 

“Hope to be…” Helen gave him a wan smile.

 

“Let’s go…” The largest of the guards motioned brusquely.

 

The armed escort took them to the Praxian security command center. Henry gawked openly at the technology suddenly surrounding him and when he leaned over a round table in the center of the room a holographic device activated, rising from the table’s center. He peered intently into screen shaped like a face-shield,

 

 _“Whoa…”_ he murmured, clearly impressed, “you guys have cameras _everywhere_ … every tribe… every race…”

 

Another large, burly guard stepped forward, “Step away from there…”

 

“Janet Fraiser… Helen Magnus,” Ranna introduced, “Commander Juno Tolland, head of security.”

 

He turned to Helen, “I don’t care that you’re the daughter of Gregory Magnus,” his lip curled in disdain as he spoke, his voice softly menacing, “you don’t exist anymore.”

 

“None of us will exist anymore, Tolland,” Ranna said quietly, “if we don’t widen our gaze.” He looked at Helen and Janet skeptically. “We need help,” she continued, “she and her wife are experts in hyper species and they have good reason to want Adam Worth stopped as much as we do.” Tolland gave Ranna a slight bow, acknowledging her rank and she added, “I want this kept from the senate as long as possible.”

 

“I’ll do what I can…” he said flatly and walked away.

 

Oblivious to their conversation, Henry wandered around the room in a daze, _“Holo-data transfer,”_ he pointed, _“virtual-sim chambers…”_ he murmured softly, his voice full of awe.

“Is this a neural interface?” Henry planted his face back in the holographic face-shield, “Do you use this for weapons guidance? Or for communications?” Both Ranna and Fallon regarded him silently and he grinned, “You use it for both…” Tolland returned, clapping a large hand on his shoulder and pulled him away from the table,

 

“We don’t need your help.”

 

Kate turned to him, smiling sweetly, “Looks like your boss thinks otherwise.”

 

“Kate has been studying Adam’s psychiatric schism along with our sanctuary psychiatrist…” Helen gave her a meaningful look and Kate’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline.

 

“Oh… well… yeah,” she shrugged, “I can tell you all about that.” _I guess…_ she shrugged inwardly.

 

“Perhaps we can compare notes then.” Fallon smiled politely.

 

“Okay,” Kate nodded, “great.”

 

Henry wandered off and Janet heard him exclaim, “You have A.I. drones? Get outta’ here!”

 

 _“Henry…”_ Janet called to him sternly.

 

“Sorry…” Henry returned to stand obediently next to her, “cuz’,” he shrugged, still grinning in excitement, “why would I care?”

“Worth’s like Houdini,” Kate turned to Fallon, ignoring him, “or the guy from Alcatraz, he keeps slipping through our fingers.”

 

“There has to be a reason he came back to the city other than to cure his illness,” Helen muttered, “I’m certain of it.”

 

“There could be a thousand reasons,” Henry shrugged, his eyes still scanning the room, “I mean, everything in here is like super valuable future tech… Look at what he did to you using those time node things... those are bad ass… probably spare parts.”

 

“Imagine what he could do with a whole city’s worth of weapons at his disposal.” Janet muttered in frustration.

 

“How is it possible,” Helen turned to Ranna, “that he managed to get back into the city undetected in the first place?”

“He’s obviously found a way to shield himself from detection,” she sighed, “Tolland’s working on a way to track him now.”

 

“When he came to the surface,” Helen leaned on the table for support, her strength waning, “he came after me using a form of time dilation that allowed him to rift.”

 

“Yes,” Ranna nodded, “we know all about his continuum experiments… they’re responsible for a whole section of our city being destroyed. His rifting leaves a very distinct power signature… one that our systems _may_ be able to use to track him.”

 

“I’m thinking once you find him you could prevent him from rifting-out using a shield like the one that herded us down here…” Henry shrugged, “I could maybe modify that and shrinky-dink it down to a handheld unit?”

 

“Very well,” Ranna nodded to Helen and Janet, “he may assist us.”

 

 _“Cool!”_ Henry beamed and Helen looked suddenly faint. Her knees buckled and Janet and Kate grabbed at her arms,

 

_“Helen!”_

 

“I just need to sit for a moment…” Helen rasped and Ranna motioned for a chair. _“Thank you…”_ she gasped and sat, trembling with the effort not to fall.

 

“Ranna?” Fallon nodded to the courier standing in the doorway, “The treatment has arrived.”

 

Ranna nodded to her and turned back to them, “For the radiation poisoning…”

 

Fallon accepted delivery from the courier and returned, “This treatment consists of eight measured injections to be administered every twelve hours.” She held up a golden-metallic instrument resembling a small telescope, “Use the button on the end to dispense it and when it’s time for the next dose it will glow red and hum softly.” She placed the end of the device against the jugular vein in Helen’s neck, “It should be administered transdermally here…” She pressed the red quartz crystal on the opposite end and Helen hissed in pain, trying not to wince away, “You will experience some pain and disorientation, but the sensations will soon pass.” she assured her.

 

Helen’s eyes slammed closed and she gripped the table’s edge in tight fists as she felt the serum flood through her veins, making the room spin nauseatingly. Henry and Kate watched nervously as Helen shook and panted breathlessly for a long minute and Janet gripped her shoulder to steady her. She felt Helen’s pulse on the other side of her neck, not releasing the breath she held until the racing heartbeat under her fingers slowed to a more normal rhythm.

 

When Helen finally felt the overwhelming, painful sensations begin to subside, she slumped slightly in her seat and cleared her throat, _“Thank you.”_ she rasped and Janet took the device from Fallon,

 

“Yes,” she nodded, “thank you.”

 

“You should eat and rest,” Ranna gestured to a guard, “he will escort you to secure quarters and see to it you are fed… I will summon you as soon as we have more information on Adam Worth.”

 

“Good,” Kate yawned, “you do not know how long a day this has been for us.”

 

“I can work for a while…” Henry managed to look up from the device he was studying, “You know… on the shield… uh, thingy.”

 

~

 

Tolland escorted them to the residential floor and opened the first door, “This room has no surveillance devices,” he assured them, “but it will be secured from the outside.” He stepped inside and indicated a panel inside the door, “Press your palm on this to communicate with the guard.”

 

“That’s… very reassuring…” Helen murmured and she and Janet stepped inside.

 

“Two meals will arrive shortly...” he informed them as he stepped back out and the door slid shut.

 

“That’s probably the best news I’ve heard all day.” Helen sighed and turned to Janet.

 

She smiled tiredly, “No…” she pulled the Praxian medical device from an inner jacket pocket, “this is…” she said quietly and Helen pulled her into her arms.

 

~

 

“So if this city’s eight thousand years old it has to predate any ancient civilization that we know of…” Kate took quiet note of the various species that sauntered down the long marble and stone hallway.

 

“The founders of Praxis were humans of extraordinary intelligence…” Fallon walked along beside her, “builders, thinkers who came here after a long struggle with the Akhkharu…”

 

Kate looked past her out the long window at the glowing city beyond, “Vampires…” Her brows furrowed, “So Ranna’s ancestors left _them_ to rule the surface while they controlled the underworld…” she turned to briefly regard the two guards who accompanied them, “Didn’t the Akhkharu ever try to mess with you down here?”

 

“Many times,” Fallon walked with her hands held clasped in front of her, “which is why our city’s defense systems are so advanced… Now we keep our most violent species at bay.”

 

“So it’s just been about non-stop progress for you…” Kate sighed, “No wonder Gregory Magnus wanted to come down here.”

 

“His betrayal shocked Ranna most of all. He was…” Fallon appeared to search for the appropriate words, “ _a friend_ to her but the genetic evidence was indisputable.”

 

“So,” Kate sighed, “Worth showed up here half-dead in 1908… roughly…” Kate wagged her hand as she and Fallon walked, “you heal him and he lives among you until about 1935.”

 

“Yes,” Fallon nodded, “but after a while his experiments grew too dangerous.”

 

“Time dilation experiments…”

 

“The details are classified.”

 

“Well,” Kate snorted, “can we _unclassify_ them? This is kind of important information...”

 

“I can tell you there was an accident. A section of the city became contaminated, hundreds died.”

 

“And so you executed him and left him in cold storage….” Kate sighed, “Then cut to the point when _someone_ revives him using Ranna’s secret _undeading_ device.”

 

“At the time we believed Gregory Magnus used some type of similar technology to bring him back.”

 

“Okay,” Kate gestured, “so he’s alive again, you guys find out, he’s forced to flee to the surface. He either builds or steals a device to suck Magnus’ brain and hires the mother of a sick Nazi _fuck_ to use it on her and find her dad’s map… and now he’s back here.” She shook her head frustratedly, “So why? So he can steal weapons? For what?”

Fallon shook her head, “An attack on the city would make no sense.”

 

“He’s an evil genius, right?” Kate shrugged, “Will… our sanctuary shrink, says his logic patterns are all about ego and that he wants to be remembered.”

 

“For what?” Fallon asked, stopping at door with a posted guard.

 

“Will says it’s what every mad scientist wants to be remembered for; doing the impossible.” Kate regarded the guard and the door, “So this is?”

 

“A private room so you can eat and rest...” Fallon smiled and opened the door, motioning for Kate to enter. They both stepped inside and Fallon closed the door with a whoosh. “There are no surveillance devices of any kind in here…” she said softly as she crossed the room to her, “So you can enjoy _complete privacy_ …” Stepping close, she clasped Kate’s face in soft hands and placed an even softer kiss on her lips, _“Alone…”_ she murmured and kissed her again, _“or with company…”_ she added, kissing her again.

 

“Uh…” Kate pulled away, “I’m not gay.”

 

“What is _gay_?”

 

“Uh…” Kate licked her lips thoughtfully, _“Oh what the hell…”_ she muttered, and planted her lips firmly against Fallon’s, plunging her tongue inside.

 

~

 

Helen shrugged exhaustedly out of her leather jacket and after draping it on a chair at the small dining table, sat with her head in her hands, pressing the heels against her eyes. Janet shrugged out of her jacket and followed suit, but instead of sitting in the chair opposite she stepped behind Helen and laid her hands on slightly trembling shoulders,

 

 _“I’m so sorry about Gregory, my love…”_ she whispered, and the dam of emotion Helen had been keeping tightly under control suddenly broke. Janet gently lifted her from the table and sat sideways on Helen’s lap, cradling her head against her chest while she cried. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, listening to Helen cry, knowing how much hope she had in seeing her father again.

 

Long minutes passed until Helen’s soft weeping finally began to subside and Janet finally murmured, _“I know how much you hoped to see him again,”_ she whispered, _“I know you loved him very much.”_

 

Helen nodded and sniffed, clearing her throat, _“I do…”_ She shook her head from side to side and then nodded helplessly, “Worth did warn me…” She sniffed again, pressing her face into Janet’s chest. “But I hoped… I believed I would find him down here… alive and well and working on some project…”

 

“I know…” Janet said softly, stroking the soft hair and tear-stained cheek, “I’m so sorry.” A soft beeping sound and flashing light appeared on the communication panel and Janet sighed, “That must be our dinner…” She sighed again, “It’s nice to know they don’t just walk in.” She rose from Helen’s lap and Helen stood,

 

“I’m going to use the facilities first.” She gave Janet’s hand a squeeze, “Thank you.” she said simply and crossed the small room to the connecting ensuite.

 

Janet let in the steward who regarded her warily and quickly set the small table with two place settings and covered dinner plates, “Excuse me…” she tapped the young man on the shoulder and he jumped, “sorry,” she smiled, “but could you tell me what that does?” She pointed over her shoulder at a long niche set into the wall.

 

~

 

They sat at the small table and ate their meals, chatting quietly about how Praxis must have used full spectrum light in order to grow such healthy food and Janet secretly delighted in how Helen gradually devoured the contents of her plate.

 

“That was quite good.” Helen pushed herself from the table with a sigh.

 

Janet stood and pulled her from the chair, “Come on…” she grinned, adding her sigh to Helen’s, “I have no idea when we’ll be called for, so we should get all the rest we can.” Helen followed compliantly and sat wearily on the bed while she struggled out of her black turtleneck. “Let me help…” She helped her pull the sweater free and unhooked her bra then knelt to untie and remove Helen’s boots.

 

“The steward said all we had to do was pile our clothes on that platform,” Helen gazed in bemusement at the niche set in the wall, “and it would clean our clothes?”

 

“Mmm,” Janet hummed as she pulled the socks from Helen’s feet, “Ultrasonic?”

 

Helen shrugged out of her bra and stood to remove her black jeans and underwear, “Seems as good a guess as any I suppose...”

 

Janet quickly stripped and placed their clothing on the wide shelf, adding the leather jackets they had draped over the dining chairs earlier. The entire alcove began to glow and hum softly and Janet tilted her head to one side, “I guess that won’t keep us awake…” She scooped up the hypo-syringe and placed it on the side table next to the bed, “I think we have another six hours before your next dose and this thing goes off.” She slid under soft, silky sheets and pressed close to Helen, “How do you feel?” she asked, smoothing her hand over Helen’s tired features. “No nausea?”

 

“None…” Helen shook her head and yawned, “I’m hardly fit enough to reel in a giant Cryptolepis…” she pulled Janet into her arms, “but I do feel better.”

 

Janet cupped her face in her hands and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, “I’m so glad, my love.”

 

Helen pulled her closer and the kiss deepened as tongues entwined between joined lips. Janet gasped in Helen’s mouth when she felt her hand slid between her legs and cup her bare mound. _“Oh… Helen…”_ she moaned quietly and sucked Helen’s tongue into her mouth. She suckled the muscled organ, groaning softly when Helen’s hand began to squeeze her hairless mound and a questing finger slid between her already soaked and swollen folds. “ _Wait…”_ she rasped and pulling away, pushed the sheet down Helen’s form and lay, inverted, on top of her.

 

Helen grasped the pert muscled mounds of Janet’s backside and pulling them apart, briefly beheld the bare beauty before pulling the dripping glistening center onto her hungry mouth. Janet’s body stiffened and she moaned in pleasure, burying her lips and nose into the neatly trimmed dark blond curls. She rubbed her cheek against the soft mound before pulling the outer labia apart and mouthed the already erect, bulbous clitoris.

 

Helen whimpered into slick flesh and thrust her tongue deep into Janet’s center. She knew she would come quickly in her weakened condition so she plunged three fingers in Janet’s steaming depths, firmly stroking the pebbled patch within with each thrust. Janet’s body trembled wildly and she struggled not to bite down on the oversized clit in her mouth. Mimicking Helen, she plunged three fingers in the creamy molten depths and curling them within, rubbed the pebbled patch hard as she suckled the rigid organ in her mouth.

 

Helen slurped and sucked at her thrusting cream-coated fingers and pumped the digits even harder, siding her free hand around to fondle Janet’s straining clit. Janet’s body convulsed wildly and her hips bucked as she climaxed, involuntarily biting down hard on Helen’s clit and triggering massive simultaneous orgasms in them both. Clutching each other, they grunted and moaned and whimpered, shaking and convulsing rigidly as cum and ejaculate squirted from finger-filled openings, drenching them in sweat and clear and creamy cum alike.

 

Little quakes and aftershocks shook them for long minutes afterward and they lay, still connected until Janet finally pulled her fingers free and suckling them deep in her mouth, moaned around them when she felt Helen’s fingers pull from her center as she turned on the bed to lie tucked close to her side. Janet pulled Helen’s long fingers into her mouth and suckled her cum from them before planting her lips on hers and kissing her deeply.

 

Helen groaned at the complex sexual flavors in her mouth and lost herself in Janet’s kiss. Long minutes passed before she pulled away and leaving her eyes closed, grinned, _“They appear to have a water-based shower in the connecting ensuite…”_ she whispered against Janet’s slightly parted lips.

 

“Later…” Janet mumbled, “I want to lie here with you in our wetness for a while.”

 

Helen chuckled, sighing pleasurably as she pulled the petite form close.

 

~

 

She panted and gasped wildly; she blamed her recent lack of sexual desire on funky hormones, _but I swear to god I have_ never _come so hard…_ Kate thought blearily, and grinned weakly as Fallon sat up on her knees between her widely spread legs and thoughtfully licked her fingers.

 

“You have an unusual… but pleasant taste.” Fallon murmured and Kate snorted aloud and sat up too,

 

“Do you say that to all the surface dwellers you fuck?”

 

Fallon looked confused and Kate planted her lips on the Herusan woman, wantonly plundering her mouth. She lay back on the mattress, pulling Fallon on top of her before rolling on top. _“Your turn…”_ she husked and began kissing her way down the long elegant neck, dragging a pillow with her. She pushed it under Fallon’s backside and grinned when she arched helpfully so Kate could position it underneath.

 

“There now…” Kate hummed pleasurably as Fallon spread her legs. _“Oh my…”_ She breathed as she settled between the shapely limbs, “I…” Fallon’s mound was covered in soft white curls and Kate ran her hand and fingers through the soft thatch. _“Cool…”_ She sighed and rubbed her nose into Fallon’s mound, making the Herusan woman close her eyes and sigh contentedly. Her hands smoothed over the soft skin of Fallon’s abdomen, over her hips and inner thighs, _Oh my god you’ve got one strong pussy smell…_ Kate smiled in amusement when she felt her center respond in pounding, demanding, liquid need. _Here goes nuthin’…_ she dragged her tongue along the cum-filled crease and felt the room tilt at a dizzying angle, “Oh my god,” she moaned, “you taste good...” _I’ve only tasted a woman’s cum a few times and this has got to top them all…_ she mused silently as she allowed her tongue to delve deeper between the outer folds. Fallon’s sexual essence had a heavy spice flavor, _What the hell is that?_ Kate wondered as she licked away more of the creamy cum, _Nutmeg?_ She would have giggled aloud but when Fallon’s outer labia parted, she used her fingers to open them fully and a look of astonishment swept across her features, _What the hell?_

 

 _“Oh…”_ Fallon husked, looking at her between heaving breasts with desperate, widely dilated eyes, _“Oh Kate, please don’t stop…”_

 

Kate stared quizzically at floridly erect inner folds that extended all the way to what Kate guessed was Fallon’s clitoris. The entire structure was wishbone shaped and Kate dragged her tongue up through the noticeably pulsating rigid folds and across the pointed clit, making Fallon scream aloud,

 

 _“OH! OH YES!”_ she cried arching stiffly off the bed, trying to increase the pressure of Kate’s tongue on her sex. _“Squeeze it!”_ she begged, _“Pull it!”_

 

Kate’s brows arched high on her forehead, “Pull your clit?” she asked somewhat uncertainly.

 

 _“Use your…”_ Fallon panted wildly, _“use your thumb and forefinger…”_

 

Kate obliged, pinching the structure between her thumb and forefinger and grinned widely when Fallon emitted a high-pitched squeal and arched rigidly, “Ready to come now?” Kate asked in a silky voice and plunged her tongue deep into the woman’s purpling center. She squeezed the unusually shaped organ hard and moaned into the flesh when she tasted Fallon’s thick and musky, spice-flavored cum. She pulled on the pulsating clit, stretching it out while she laved the now shouting woman’s convulsing inner walls.

 

Fallon arched rigidly on the bed, and as she distantly felt her center explode in release, all sound left her body and her mouth opened wide in a silent scream as the orgasm seized her. Kate’s thrusting tongue was pushed abruptly back into her mouth by the gush of thick cum and she closed her eyes, concentrating on keeping her throat open, accepting the blast of cum that shot forcefully from Fallon’s center in one long impossibly thick stream. Kate felt the seconds tick by as Fallon continued to climax stiffly, _Jesus,_ Kate’s brow furrowed in concentration, _is this chick coming or taking a long piss in my mouth?_

 

Fallon finally collapsed heavily on the mattress, panting and wheezing audibly and Kate released the gaping opening. _Now_ that _was a lot of cum…._ She licked her lips thoughtfully and swallowed, taking silent note of the full, warm sensation in her stomach. She dragged her tongue more gently through the folds, intending to soothe and clean away the delicious nectar when she noticed the clit she had pulled on so incessantly, “Oh jeez,” she said quietly, “Fallon…”

 

“It’s alright,” Fallon assured her with a breathless chuckle, “it always does that when I climax that intensely.”

 

“Really…” Kate muttered; stretched during orgasm, Fallon’s clitoris was now a long, thin dark red-purple strand, _If I saw that on the ground I’d think it was a six inch long worm or something..._ she mused silently.

 

 _“Please suck it in your mouth…”_ Fallon rasped, lifting the limp organ with her fingers in offering, _“please, Kate.”_

 

“Okay…” she shrugged, “but I am really wet from watching you come,” she wagged her brows suggestively, “so I’ll be expecting you to fuck me into a major cum-fest after this.”

 

Fallon looked mildly confused but she agreed, “Whatever you like.” she assured her.

 

Taking the tip of the organ into her mouth, she smiled when she heard Fallon hiss through her teeth and sucked the thin structure into her mouth, _Like sucking in spaghetti…_ She snickered inwardly in amusement and with her lips pressed against Fallon’s flesh, she tongued the flaccid organ in her mouth, concentrating on not chewing or biting down with her teeth.

 

Fallon shook and trembled and writhed on the bed, _“Oh yes!”_ She whimpered, crying, _“Oh yes, suck my fitta! Suck my fitta!”_

 

Under other circumstances, Kate would have struggled not to laugh aloud but the more she suckled the long, noodle-like clit and swallowed her cum-flavored saliva, the more she wanted to ride this woman’s face and come until she screamed.

 

“Take my sarre… sarre fitta! Sarre fitta!”

 

 _I have_ no _idea what that means…_ Kate thought dizzily and slid three fingers inside Fallon’s cum-filled center, smiling around the clit she suckled when she heard Fallon scream and stiffen beneath her. Squirts of searing ejaculate filled her palm and she felt her own rock-hard clit and dripping center pound, needful while Fallon’s body jerked violently.

 

~

 

The second injection proved worse instead of better and Janet was ready to call for help as she watched helplessly while Helen curled on the bed, fully clothed and shaking uncontrollably while the medication coursed painfully through her bloodstream.

 

 _“Wait…”_ Helen gasped, gripping Janet’s arm, _“I just need a minute…”_

 

“What if this isn’t helping you?” Janet smoothed the hair from Helen’s face, “what if…”

 

“I’m alright.” Helen grunted, willing her body to accept the medication, “It is helping me…” She pulled the hand against her cheek, “Just wait with me…”

 

Janet pursed her lips together in a thin line of worry, waiting tensely until Helen sighed,

 

 _“There…”_ she swallowed, rising cautiously into a sitting position, “I believe I can handle breakfast now…” She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders even though Janet could see her still trembling, “Let’s…”

 

The secured door whooshed open and the armed guard filled the doorway, “Come with me.”

 

They grabbed their leather jackets from the alcove and exited the room, both taking quite note that their armed escorts had doubled from two to four. In spite of Helen’s effort to discover where they were escorting them to, both she and Janet knew their destination when they approached the large chamber where Ranna had executed Helen. They stood uncertainly in the center of the room when Ranna entered, clearly angry,

 

“We gave you _a second chance_ …” she fought to keep her voice low, _“and this is how you repay us!”_ She activated the large video screen and Helen and Janet watched, aghast, as the holo-image showed Adam walking into frame carrying a large case and Ranna froze the image just as he winked jauntily into the security camera.

 

“Ranna,” Helen turned to her, “ _I swear_ we have _no idea_ what he’s after...”

 

 _“He’s just stolen weapons components from a storage facility!”_ Ranna pointed angrily at Worth’s frozen image on the screen, _“What’s his plan, and what outland tribe is he in league with?”_

“We don’t know,” Janet insisted, “we don’t even know how he got back down here.”

 

“I know how this looks,” Helen implored, “but you have to understand he’s as much our enemy as he is yours.”

 

~

 

“Holy crap…” Kate moaned aloud. Naked, she lay spread-eagle on the bed and she scrubbed her face before looking blearily around her, “Fallon?” She was alone and she let her head drop back on the mattress, _Well,_ she thought, sighing aloud, _I never in a million years woulda’ thought this particular trip would involve so much fucking…_ “And coming…” she muttered aloud and groaning, dragged herself from the bed. She shuffled into the connected ensuite and stepped into the conventional-looking shower when the water felt hot.

 

As she washed herself, her thoughts strayed to the night before and unaware she was smiling, took her time lathering between her legs as she remembered riding Fallon’s hip. Then, when her center could take no more, she crawled up the Herusan’s nude form and rode her face, grunting and shouting in release when Fallon rammed her fingers inside and bit down on her tiny rock-hard clit. _It stays tiny when I fuck but I can squirt cum-juice with the best of them…_ she snorted happily and left the shower. She toweled herself dry and quickly dressed, pressing her palm on the com-panel to summon the guard outside her door,

 

“Hey there,” she greeted the stern-faced sentry, “Can you take me back to the control room now?”

 

When she entered the room she saw Henry where she left him the night before, bent over the holo-device, “Hey,” she greeted him, “get any sleep?”

 

“Hey,” he returned the greeting and nodded, “yeah, I did, actually…” he stole a look over his shoulder at Tolland and lowered his voice, “You know the classified part of Worth’s criminal profile… that whole contamination thing?”

 

“Yeah,” Kate’s eyes flashed surreptitiously over at Tolland as well, “tell me you hacked into it.”

 

“It’s a biometric encryption system,” Henry beamed quietly, “so with the right DNA combination…”

 

“So you…” Kate looked both questioning and concerned.

 

“Yes, I hacked into it.” He stole another look at Tolland, “I stole a sample from our uptight friend over there.”

 

Her eyebrows rose high on her forehead but Henry looked only at the holo-device in front of him, “Don’t ask.”

 

“Okay, so what’d you find out?”

“Well, nothing at first, but I kept digging and I found out Worth had been playing with something called a Kellorem device,”

 

 _“Kellorem?”_ Kate shrugged uncomprehendingly.

 

“Yeah, it’s some kind of super powerful energy source… it’s banned by the government, but they gave Worth a few chances… he unleashes it, kills two hundred people and they sentence him to temp-death.”

 

“So that’s gotta’ be the reason why he came back…”

 

“Yeah… and why someone would hide it so deep.”

 

Tolland suddenly appeared behind Henry, making him jump, “Why were you trying to access information on the Kellorem device?” he asked quietly.

 

“Why were you trying to hide it?” Kate shot back.

 

Tolland affected an innocent tone, “What are you talking about?”

 

“Worth was accused of deploying this device in the city,” she looked annoyed, “causing massive contamination.”

 

“Except there’s no mention of this device in his criminal file...” Henry added.

 

“Meaning somebody deleted it.” Kate concluded, folding her arms across her chest.

 

Tolland stared down at the stream of holodata, avoiding her gaze, “Our records are kept under the strictest security…”

 

 _“You’ve been hacked, dude!”_ Henry hissed under his breath.

 

“What is this Kellorem device?” Kate asked, not softening her tone.

 

“It’s a powerful form of antimatter,” Tolland kept his voice low, “Worth was fascinated by it, talked about how it could be used for many things. Things like, power supply, weapons… he said its potential was limitless.”

 

Kate’s brows arched high, “And you guys felt otherwise?”

 

“It was far too unstable to harness.”

 

“Yeah, well,” Kate sighed, “he’s after it again.”

 

“Those nodes he used that almost killed the doc…” Henry wagged his finger thoughtfully, “they needed a lot of juice to work, if this Kellorem device is _that_ powerful…” he looked at Kate, “time control.”

 

Tolland snorted and shook his head disdainfully, “You are _insane_ …”

 

“Really? Then why is someone trying so hard to bury this?” Kate’s voice rose, “Who else, besides you, has administrative access to these files?”

 

“Ranna,” Tolland muttered, “but she would never be a part of this.”

 

“What about someone who could mimic her biometric security clearance?” Henry looked meaningfully at Kate, “Like a Quinterran who can change their DNA…”

 

“Or an Herusan who can do the same thing …” she groaned and turned to Tolland, “Fallon.”

 

~

 

She stole a quick look behind her although she knew no one could have followed her inside the secure storage facility, “This was not part of our agreement...” she said as she entered the small containment room.

 

“Nor was hunting me down like a dog…” Worth muttered as he carefully packed away the Kellorem, “chasing me to the surface.”

 

“That was unavoidable,” Fallon checked the second, open door across the room Worth had left open. “Ranna would not abandon the search and it is not my fault your _contactor_ failed to retrieve Helen Magnus’ holomap.”

 

“It still wasn’t easy…” He lovingly patted the glowing device.

 

“But you have the device,” she sighed, “and you are certain it will do as you say…”

 

“Oh,” he assured her darkly, “that and _much more_.”

 

“Good…” she looked uncomfortable, “then we can keep the city safe from… further incursions from the violent races and…”

 

 _“Oh come now…”_ Worth smiled indulgently, “we both know that the device will give you complete control over the city’s weapons systems…” He arched his brows, “ _you_ and your tribal allies in the senate.” His voice dropped to a thoughtful murmur, “ _Pity the poor humans.”_ He stood and slowly crossed the room towards her, “There’s a new species of sheriff in town…” he winked and clicked his tongue, “I’m kind of on to you.”

 

A small smile quirked at Fallon’s lips, “Ranna’s time is over,” she purred, “this city’s had too much power for too long.”

 

“Frankly,” Worth shrugged, “I don’t care if you depose Ranna… or send all the humans here scurrying for the surface like the little rats that they are… _No,_ I care that you’re thinking too small. The Kellorem has a far more meaningful destiny…” His eyebrows seemed to shrug as he extended his hand and the small device he held emitted a blue bolt of energy that rendered Fallon unconscious. “My point my dear…” he said as he watched her slide bonelessly to the floor; “is that _the deal’s off.”_

 

~

 

“It’s Fallon,” Kate folded her arms defensively across her chest, “she was in league with Worth.”

 

Ranna looked shocked, _“That’s impossible…”_

 

Henry shoved his hands deep in his pockets, “She was helping him steal something called a Kellorem device?”

 

They stood at the round holo-table, “Kellorem?’ Janet asked.

 

“It’s an energy source, comprised of antimatter…” Ranna shook her head in exasperated worry and concern, “it’s incredibly unstable. Adam wanted to use it to shield the city but the senate was against it, so was I.”

 

“Thanks to Fallon’s help,” Tolland stood next to her, “Worth has the device and he’s managed to override almost all of our security systems.”

 

“Henry,” Helen turned to him, “See what you can do to stop him from leaving the city.”

 

“Where’s the nearest transport station?” Janet asked, “I would think he’d be trying to leave at this point.”

 

“And if you could give us our weapons back,” Kate struggled to keep the sarcasm from her tone, _“that would be great…”_

 

~

 

Henry stayed behind while Helen, Janet and Kate joined  Ranna and a security team as they swarmed the transport station, all of them splitting up to check each individual hub area housing the sphere-shaped transport pods.

 

Janet held her Berretta at the ready when she came running around the corner, unsurprised to see Worth, _“Adam!”_ she cried, lining up the sites of her .45 semiautomatic on his chest.

 

Adam had been frantically hacking into the exterior door controls, trying to gain entry and he whirled to face her, _“The concubine…”_ Worth grinned, “who couldn’t leave well enough alone.”

 

“It’s over, Adam…”

 

“You and Helen are cut from the same cloth…” he stood, shaking his head, “Always threatening… never acting…” he held out his hands in apparent surrender and activated the palm-sized stunner device still concealed in his hand.

 

Before Janet could fire her weapon, the blue bolt of energy rendered her unconscious and she slumped to the floor. Worth chuckled aloud and picking up the case with the Kellorem device, finished overriding the modified security protocol and grinned widely as the pod door slid open.

 

Helen and Ranna came running around the corner and Helen fired her Berretta once, hitting Worth in the brachial nerve, making him spin and forcing him to drop the case. He cried out and fell against the steps leading into the pod,

 

“And I was _certain_ …” he smiled in bemusement and struggled to his feet, “history never repeats…”

 

Helen stood protectively in front of Janet, _“Don’t!”_ she warned him, her semi-automatic still trained on his chest, “I _will_ shoot you again.”

 

Worth’s grin turned feral and he spread his arms wide, just as he had done on the cliff’s rim at the Grand Canyon; he stepped backward into the pod just as Helen shot him again, hitting him squarely in the chest.

 

Janet was coming to and she squinted blearily between Helen’s boots at the pod’s closing door, hearing Worth’s maniacal laugh before it flew away on its magnetized rails.

 

 _“Henry!”_ Helen called on the Praxian communication device strapped to her wrist, “Worth is escaping in a transport pod! Can you stop him?”

 

 _“Hang on doc…”_ they heard the distant voice, _“We’re overriding the A.I. interface…”_

 

Janet rubbed her head painfully and slowly stood, retrieving her weapon and re-holstering it.

 

“Janet…” Helen gripped the small shoulder, “Are you alright?”

 

“ _Bad_ headache…” Janet craned her neck carefully, “but yeah… I’m fine.”

 

 _“Doc!”_ they heard Henry’s voice over the communications devices strapped to their wrists, _“We have control, it’s coming back…”_

 

The trio watched the pod return as it had left, and Ranna held her Praxian stunner on the pod’s door while Helen and Janet did the same with their Berettas. The door slid open and they cautiously approached,

 

“Adam?” Helen called, but they heard no response and when they reached the pod, it was clear no one was inside. _“That’s impossible…”_ she breathed.

 

Ranna’s arm dropped to her side, “At least we have the device…” she sighed in relief, and picked up the case Worth had left behind.

 

~

 

“So?” Kate folded her arms across her chest, still feeling defensive after being so easily seduced by the traitor Fallon, “Is Worth dead or not?”

 

Helen shrugged, “I shot him twice…”

 

“And yet Ranna’s search teams found no trace of him.”

 

“Fallon either…” Henry shrugged, perplexed that Kate looked so uncomfortable.

 

The doors to the large chamber opened and Ranna entered, “I’ve arranged for a garrison to escort you to the surface.”

 

“I can only say I’m disappointed,” Helen shrugged, “I had hoped we gained each other’s trust.”

 

“And this city has a lot to thank you for…” Ranna conceded quietly, “but, it’s going to take time before the senate allows continued interaction between surface-dwellers… It might be better if you didn’t make any attempt to communicate with us… in the fullness of time, we’ll contact you.”

 

Helen smiled, “We’ll look forward to it.”

 

Janet nodded, feeling the syringe in her jacket pocket, “We’ve got quite a lot to learn from you.”

 

“We’ve got a lot to learn from each other.” Ranna looked from Helen to Janet, “I thank you... I thank you all.”

 

“You loved my father,” Helen asked quietly, “didn’t you?”

 

Ranna eyes blurred with tears,” Yes,” she admitted, “that is why the senate insisted on his execution being permanent…” She sniffed and cleared her throat, “We were good together, and I loved him very much.”

 

Janet squeezed Helen’s hand and she squeezed back, “I’m glad for the time and happiness he had with you…”

 

“Over sixty years…” Ranna whispered, nodding, “I believed him when he told me he had nothing to do with Adam’s escape…” She sniffed, straightening and squaring her shoulders, “but the video and genetic evidence Fallon manufactured was overwhelming and the senate overruled me and declared it unimpeachable…”

 

Helen’s eyes brimmed and she nodded, unable to speak.

 

~

 

Henry sat next to Aeryn on the flight back to Lhasa and she keyed her mic, “How are you doing back there?” she asked, turning to raise her brows expectantly.

 

Janet had just injected Helen with another dose of the radiation cure from Praxis and she held her head on her lap while the powerful medication coursed through her veins and she shook in the burning, disorienting sensations that gripped her, “Quicker this time…”

 

Aeryn heard over her headset and her brows rose even higher on her forehead, “Jesus, you’re kidding, that was _better_?”

 

Janet shook her head just as Aeryn turned back to the controls, “I said _quicker,_ not _easier.”_

 

Henry gave Aeryn a look, “In this case bad ass radiation poisoning required a rough bad ass cure.”

 

Aeryn turned to look back one more time and saw Janet had helped Helen sit upright in her seat, reclining it substantially and was helping her get her headset back on.

 

“I am getting over the… sensations quicker…” Helen panted into her mic, “I must be halfway through the injections now…”

 

Aeryn looked at Janet, who only looked steadily in her eyes before she turned back to the controls again, “Okay, so… you’ll have time for some soup and noodles in the airport lounge when we get to Lhasa Gonggar…”

 

“Noodles…” they heard Kate snort ironically into their headsets, _“perfect.”_

 

“What’s wrong with a nice bowl of hot noodles?” Henry turned to her, “I like noodles…”

 

“As it turns out, Hank,” she sighed, grinning lopsidedly, “so do I…”

 

Henry looked confused as he slumped comfortably in the copilot’s seat, “Okay then…” He gave Aeryn a bemused look and shrugged.

 

~

 

“I know you said you succeeded in obtaining the cure,” Tesla stood with the door open and parked a hand on his hip as he regarded her, “but you really don’t look any better.” He involuntarily backed up a step when he caught Janet’s glare.

 

“Thank you… Nikola...” Helen sighed as she and Janet walked past him, heading for the elevator.

 

“So,” he asked as Henry and Kate entered, “did you bring me anything?” He shut the door behind them; his brows raised high, waiting expectantly.

 

“Not really…” Henry shook his head as he tiredly shuffled past, “no…”

 

Will met them at the elevator, “Hey,” he greeted them quietly, “welcome back.”

 

“Thank you, Will…” Helen nodded, walking past him and entering the elevator with Janet.

 

“Uh…” he hooked a thumb over his shoulder, “big guy made dinner…”

 

Janet pressed the button for the residential floor, “Maybe later...”

 

Tesla followed them and stood next to Will who shoved his hands in his pockets, “Okay… can I get you anything?”

 

“No,” Janet gave him a tired smile as the doors closed, “But tomorrow you and Nikola can explain to us how you managed to let Adam escape.”

 

“Okay…” Will looked from the closed elevator doors to Nikola, “so tomorrow is going to suck.”

 

“William, you have a gift for understatement,” Nikola turned on his heel and headed for the stairs, “I’ll be in the wine cellar.”

 

He turned to Henry and Kate, “So, you guys hungry?”

 

Henry shrugged, “I could eat…” he mumbled as he shuffled past and Kate followed, muttering,

 

“I hope it’s not Asian food...”

 

~

 

“We really should eat.” Janet mumbled, placing the Praxian syringe on her nightstand before snuggling under the covers next to Helen’s limp form.

 

“We did eat on the plane…”

 

Janet snuggled close, “And we need to start getting blood work on you before and after the next injection so we can finally see what I’ve been injecting you with.” She wrapped her arms around Helen and lay hear cheek over the sound of her beating heart, “I can’t believe I don’t know what’s in that syringe yet.” A long moment passed and Janet sat up, “I should really get the first draw now…”

 

 _“In a while...”_ Helen pulled her back into her arms, “those injections have certainly not been pleasant, but Ranna said she checked the formulary where it was made and the remedy is real and hadn’t been tampered with by Fallon.”

 

Sighing heavily, Janet relented and settled back into her arms, “I guess Fallon didn’t find you… or us, enough of a threat to have the syringe loaded with anything other than an actual cure.”

 

“That’s what she gets for listening to Adam…” Helen chuckled tiredly. A long minute passed and she added, “I really want to make love to you.”

 

“Okay.” Janet mumbled then added, “You did it again, you know.”

 

“What?”

 

“Saved countless lives from Adam Worth.”

 

“Only with your help...” Helen mumbled, her voice fading as she surrendered to sleep, “and Kate’s… and Henry…”

 

“Helen?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I love you.”

 

Helen’s closed eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled and she pulled the small form closer in the loose circle of her arms, “I love you more.”


End file.
